Customer satisfaction in Malaysia exceeds global average

Post-pandemic, consumers will increasingly expect great experiences across whichever channel they choose 

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach - 20 May 2021 - New research released today from Qualtrics (Nasdaq: XM), the world's No.1 Experience Management (XM) provider and creator of the XM category, reveals how consumer behaviour and expectations are changing in Malaysia, and the new experiences businesses should provide to meet the needs of consumers today and in the future.

The new study from the QualtricsExperience Management (XM) Institute, "2021 Consumer Trends in APAC", examined the perspectives of 1,000 consumers in Malaysia. The study highlights how companies will need to rewrite their playbooks to deliver great online, in-person, and hybrid experiences to attract and retain customers.

"Across the world and especially in Southeast Asia, we are seeing customer preferences and expectations evolve at a rapid pace. If businesses are going to adapt and thrive in this new environment, they need to understand the 'how' and 'why' behind these shifting behaviours, and then use the insights to proactively design and continually improve offline and online experiences for their customers," said Harish Agarwal, Head of CX Solutions & Strategy for Qualtrics in Southeast Asia.

"Our research shows that consumers are not going back to the way things were," said Bruce Temkin, Head of the Qualtrics XM Institute. "Consumers have adapted to a new, digital-first landscape, and the experiences that they have with brands across digital channels directly impact their purchasing decisions. In order to be successful, organisations need to prepare for the future instead of trying to recreate the past."

Study Highlights for trends in Malaysia:

• Consumer satisfaction in Malaysia exceeds the global average. Three-quarters of consumers in Malaysia (73%) said they were satisfied with their brand interactions, in comparison to 66% globally. Medical (81%) delivered the highest levels of satisfaction, followed closely by and fast-food restaurants and online retailers (both 79%).
• Consumers went digital, and most of them are not going back. Having embraced new digital channels for most engagements during the pandemic, there is now a clear differentiation between what behaviours consumers will continue to adopt.

• Customer service is an important differentiator. Consumers are more discerning than before about their purchasing choices, and organisations need to do more than market the quality or price of their products and services: 24% of consumers would prefer to buy from an organisation that threats them well, compared to 19% who favour price.
• Consumers increasingly expect great experiences across multiple platforms. Organisations need to invest in delivering quality customer service and meet customers where they are - whether that's online, in-person or somewhere in between: 35% of consumers expect to resolve support issues in person, 34% through self-service, 17% over the phone, and 14% via online chat.
• Satisfaction breeds trust and advocacy. Positive experiences inspire greater levels of trust and advocacy among consumers. Consumers who have good experiences with organisations in critical industries — such as education systems, hospitals/medical clinics, and government agencies — are more likely to trust them. And when consumers trust an organisation, they're more likely to recommend them to friends and family, helping to attract new customers.

Organisations must continue to change and adapt to the changing consumer expectations in the post-pandemic environment. To do that at scale, organisations will need experience data - what consumers say they want and expect —to stay ahead of customer expectations and design the experiences that attract and retain them.

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