A new Nextiva survey of more than 1,000 customer experience leaders across the US, UK, and Canada reveals senior leadership is increasingly recognising it as a revenue driver rather than a cost centre.
The findings indicate that CX plays a bigger role in shaping business performance, but challenges remain, particularly in managing AI adoption and overcoming tool overload.
Conducted in November 2024, the survey found that 96% of CX leaders believe their company’s leadership sees CX as a key driver of business outcomes, while 79% report that it is now viewed as a crucial revenue driver. This shift is also making it easier for CX teams to secure investments, as 67% of respondents say obtaining funding has become less challenging over the past five years.
The role of technology
Leaders credit the ability to track key metrics such as customer lifetime value (CLTV), customer acquisition cost (CAC), and retention rates as central to demonstrating CX’s business impact.
Nearly half of respondents (47%) pointed to improved tracking as a major factor in CX’s growing status, while others cited easier technology adoption, shifting industry attitudes, and better ROI measurement.
However, despite the enthusiasm for CX technology, tool overload is hindering progress. Many teams are juggling six or more different tools to manage customer interactions, leading to inefficiencies and fragmented data.
The majority of CX professionals (81%) believe that consolidating customer data into a single system would significantly improve their ability to deliver a seamless experience.
AI maturity
While 92% of businesses report using AI in some capacity, only 9% describe their adoption as fully mature. Many are still in the early stages, with 24% identifying as beginners and another 31% as being in the middle of implementation.
The primary motivation for AI investment is revenue generation, cited by 54% of respondents, followed by process efficiency (46%), customer demand (40%), and competitive pressure (39%).
Among companies that have embraced AI, use cases vary, with the most common applications including AI-generated customer communications (64%), agent assist tools (60%), self-service options (57%), and quality assurance (53%). However, challenges evolve as companies progress in their AI adoption.
One of the most persistent issues is the integration of AI with human agents. Nearly all CX leaders (98%) agree that seamless AI-to-human handoffs are essential, yet 90% say they continue to face friction in making these transitions smooth. Resistance from employees (36%) and customers (29%) are the top barriers, along with technical hurdles such as legacy systems and lack of integration.
More than half of decision-makers (51%) believe that allowing human agents to oversee and intervene in AI interactions would help address these challenges.