How the CRM industry in India fared in 2019 and what to expect in 2020

In 2019, we saw a continued rise in customer expectations and the need for a consistently seamless customer experience. As a result, companies began to recognize the importance of using customer experience (CX) to differentiate their business. Yet, there continues to be a gap between what customers expect and what companies deliver. Earlier this year, the Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report 2019 showed that 40 percent of customers opt for help centers before contacting a support agent. However, only 20 percent companies provide self-service solutions, signifying a significant opportunity for companies to catch-up to rising expectations.

We saw businesses look for an open CRM platform that aligns all customer data, from any source, into one place to give them a more complete view of the customer, and putting their experience at the center. Messaging apps like WhatsApp have had a sweeping influence in India, and brands such as 1MG, a healthcare ecommerce platform, and Milaap, a crowdfunding platform, were seen as some of the earliest adopters these tools to make their support experiences faster and easier than ever before. In 2020, we will more companies integrating messaging solutions like WhatsApp into their CX strategy.

Looking into 2020, customers will continue to expect more from businesses, regardless of whether they are digitally native, disrupting, or transforming their industry. In line with this, more companies will recognize the power of adopting an omnichannel CX strategy to give their customers an increasingly seamless experience. I also expect to see a higher adoption of AI and self-service, particularly amongst millennials and Gen-Zers who, according to our data, are more comfortable finding solutions online via FAQs and help centers.

KT Prasad
Country Sales Director- Zendesk