We were thrilled to be back at Leeds Digital Festival for 2026. Here is a snapshot of the key takeaways we took from the conversations on the day.
We were back for a second year at Leeds Digital Festival. This time we wanted to do something a bit different.
We hosted a practical workshop exploring how the discipline of CX is changing with technology, like AI, but also changing customer expectations.
For those whose job it is to understand customers, and design experiences, this constant state of change can be a challenge. But there is also the opportunity to evolve how we do CX to create better results, faster.
Before we share our takeaways, here are some all important stats on the current state of Customer Experience.
$1.6T is lost annually due to poor customer experiences (SAP)
Customer Experience Leaders achieve 5.1x revenue growth (Forrester)
We have a many as 4,000 - 10,000 brand interactions each day (Yankelovich)
81% of consumers believe companies use AI primarily to save money rather than to improve service (SurveyMonkey)
78% of brands believe they deliver seamless CX. 25% of customers agree (SAP)
It was great to stimulate so much discussion from practitioners and leaders in CX.
Here are some key takeaways.
1. You are not your customer
This is something we must always stay aware of. We produce our product or service, we cannot also be expected to consume it in ways similar to our customers. That means the understanding of our customer experience can be drastically different. You need to use varied research techniques to truly understand the steps and emotions customers have when they interact with you and your touchpoints.
2. AI can have a bigger impact on how you create customer experiences, than the customer experiences themselves
At least in the short-term, the processes you use to create experiences, and how employees interact with them, are the most impactful application of AI in CX. No one wants to talk to an AI chatbot for example. In our workshop, multiple groups suggested using AI to help with internal comms to create buy-in to proposed CX improvements. Smart stuff.
3. The CX bar remains low, while the rewards are only getting greater
There is a continued disconnect between what businesses think of their customer experience, and what their customers actually experience. Unfortunately, there’s no sign of this changing too. But this creates an opportunity. If you truly create experiences which exceed customer expectations, you will be in a much better position than your competition. With CX being a driver of business growth, you will see the results. Get things right, your competition is likely poor but your rewards are high.
There is so much more which we could mention. The CX community is a strong one. AAWE are proud to be a part of it.
We plan to hold more regular workshops in the future. If you’d like to be the first to hear about them, be sure to sign up to our Newsletter.
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