{"id":1480,"date":"2021-07-26T20:44:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-04T20:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=1480"},"modified":"2023-11-01T19:01:09","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T19:01:09","slug":"customer-expectations-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/eu\/blog\/customer-expectations-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Explore a New Era of Customer Expectations in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As we noted in our recent State of Service blog<\/a>, customer expectations in South Africa were rising long before the COVID-19 pandemic started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what\u2019s going on in the South African market? And how can you respond with the best version of your business, as fast as possible?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help find some answers, we surveyed 12,000 consumers and 3,600 business buyers\u20144% of which are based in South Africa\u2014for our fourth State of the Connected Customer report<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here are some key takeaways we think you\u2019ll want to know about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Customer experience and business ethics are key<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One key fact rang out loud and clear throughout the survey: a tailored customer experience (CX) still reigns supreme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In South Africa, 89% of consumers say experience is as important as products and services<\/b>. And 61% say they prefer those products and services to be personalised. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Get personalisation right, and 91% of global respondents say they\u2019ll be more likely to make another purchase from you. And 78% will even forgive you for previous mistakes after receiving an excellent experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also found that 78% of respondents in South Africa say businesses must improve their trustworthiness. Additionally, 70% and 61% say businesses must improve their environmental and social practices, respectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is indicative of a more global shift accelerated by high-profile and long-overdue reckonings with social, economic, and ecological injustices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, 86%<\/a> of global customers say the societal role of companies is changing. And business buyers agree, with 75% saying vendors\u2019 business ethics increasingly factor into their purchasing decisions. This isn\u2019t just moral posturing either: 61% of global consumers have stopped buying from a company whose values don\u2019t align with their own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, 89% of customers expect companies to clearly state their values, and 90% expect them to clearly demonstrate those values. Take note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South African consumers expect corporate social responsibility<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Customer expectations around personalised CX have intensified over the COVID-19 pandemic. But consumers and buyers aren\u2019t making choices based solely on what\u2019s good for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s also a social reckoning taking place. Customers are validating their brand relationships in a new context of corporate social responsibility and ethics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n