Invited by Warren and Monica at The Supper Club, a members-only networking club that brings thousands of the UK's top CEOs together to share business and investment advice, to keynote its annual summit.
Matthew GriffinFounder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
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Warren and Monica at The Supper Club, a members-only networking club that brings thousands of the UK's top CEOs together to share business and investment advice, invited Matthew to give this year's keynote at its annual summit in London. Because of COVID-19 the summit was again held virtually. The members chose the topic, the Future of Customer Experience, and Matthew took them all the way out to 2040.
He framed the session around the importance of SMEs. As Tony Danker, Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry, had recently told him, SMEs are the lifeblood of every economy, and many had been hit especially hard by the pandemic.
"Today we live in a world where real time is the new minimum, where zero is the new effort, and where hyper personalisation is the new expectation."Matthew Griffin, London, March 2021
Matthew explained that customer experience was already changing faster than ever before the pandemic pushed more entertainment and shopping online. Dramatic leaps in technology, from the power of smart devices and the speed of networks to the resurgence of artificial intelligence and augmented reality, were redrawing what customers expect. As companies built on cheap, ubiquitous technologies such as cloud and digitised their businesses and products, customers found they could do anything, anywhere, in real time, from having a health check-up in the middle of a field to trading shares and learning new things from their gardens.
His summary of where that leaves companies was blunt: real time is the new minimum, zero is the new effort, and hyper personalisation is the new expectation. From there he looked at what comes next, including what happens when creative machines can make the perfect product on demand before a customer even asks for it. He closed on a light note, inviting questions for Ana, his digital human, while he traded shares in the garden and ordered a drone-delivered pizza.
311 Intelligence
What this means for your leadership team
Customer expectations now set the pace.
Customers can already do almost anything, anywhere, in real time, from a health check-up in a field to trading shares from the garden. Payment systems are moving the same way. Real Time Payments is rated Act now, with wide use due in 2023.
Smaller firms feel the pressure first.
Tony Danker, Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry, said SMEs are the lifeblood of every economy and that many were hit hard by the pandemic. A firm with fewer resources has less room to fall behind on speed, effort and personal service.
Machines will start to create and buy.
Creative Machines, rated Prepare with wide use in 2028, point to products made on demand before a customer asks. Robot Customers, rated Prepare with wide use in 2030, add automated agents that choose and buy for people. Digital Humans, like Ana at the session, are due for wide use in 2035.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
Where do our customers already expect instant response and no effort?
Which of our products could a machine design before the customer asks?
Who in our firm owns the work on personal, always-on service?
The trends and technologies behind this session
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
It says customer experience is being reset by technology, not by sector. Organisations should test their service against instant response, minimal effort and deep personalisation, and plan for a future where machines create products on demand.
How do Creative Machines relate to customer experience?
Creative Machines is a Prepare trend, with wide use expected in 2028. It links to the session's idea of a perfect product made on demand before a customer even asks, which would shift where value sits in a business.
How do Digital Humans relate to customer experience?
Digital Humans are life-like computer-made people that can talk and show feelings. Matthew invited questions for Ana, his digital human. The technology is rated Explore, with wide use expected in 2035.
How can 311 brief our leadership team on this?
311 offers a private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. It is delivered in person first.
Bring this to your leadership teamA private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. In person first, anywhere in the world.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s session and 311 data.
If Matthew gave this session today
Bots make 53% of web traffic, but people buy.
311 Institute's research finds bots make 53% of web traffic, yet people still do the buying. For customer experience leaders, that changes what it takes to reach real customers between now and 2040.
