In 2022, the award-winning film Everything Everywhere All at Once dazzled audiences with its portrayal of a woman navigating multiple realities, crises, and identities simultaneously. That title now reflects what many businesses face in the world of customer experience (CX): the challenge of meeting endless expectations across countless touchpoints, all at once.
The New Reality of Customer Experience
Customer experience is no longer about answering calls or resolving complaints in isolation. It now demands seamless, high-quality, real-time interactions across multiple platforms—social media, WhatsApp, mobile apps, USSD, contact centres, and physical branches.
Today’s customers are informed, vocal, and demanding. They expect speed, transparency, empathy, and personalisation—all instantly, across every channel, without having to repeat themselves. Falling short is costly: customers no longer wait for better service; they simply leave.
The Ghanaian Context
Across Ghana, businesses are juggling traditional service models with the expectations of digitally fluent customers. Telcos like MTN have advanced with self-service apps, mobile money, and AI-powered chatbots. Yet queues at service centres and inconsistent problem resolution still frustrate customers.
Banks have invested in CRM systems and omnichannel platforms, but fragmented data often creates disjointed experiences. A customer valued on a mobile app may be treated as a stranger on a hotline because agents lack interaction histories. These lapses erode trust—not just technologically, but emotionally.
Lessons from Global Leaders
Internationally, platforms like Safaricom’s M-Pesa, Amazon, and Apple have set high CX benchmarks. M-Pesa simplified money transfers to a text message, earning global acclaim. Amazon thrives on seamless returns and reliability, while Apple fosters loyalty through its integrated ecosystem.
These leaders excel at anticipatory service—using data to identify issues before they arise and delighting customers with proactive solutions. Similarly, AI platforms such as ChatGPT are reshaping expectations by providing context-aware responses in real time.
Yet global examples must be applied with care. Unlike Amazon or Apple, Ghanaian firms often face legacy systems, uneven digital adoption, regulatory hurdles, and limited integration. These realities must shape strategies.
Barriers Holding CX Back
One key barrier is mindset. Too often, CX is seen as a department or reporting function, rather than a business-wide philosophy. This narrow view weakens execution, leaving feedback loops reactive instead of proactive.
Staff are another critical factor. Customer-facing teams frequently work with minimal tools or authority, limiting their ability to create positive experiences. Without empowered staff, even the most advanced systems fall short.
Pathways to Transformation
To thrive in this “everything everywhere” era, Ghanaian businesses must adopt a deliberate approach:
-
Unify systems and data: Build a single, comprehensive view of each customer to eliminate silos.
-
Balance automation and humanity: AI should reduce friction, but human touch must remain seamless when needed.
-
Empower staff: Equip frontline teams with the tools, context, and authority to act decisively.
-
Be agile: Shift from reactive reports to continuous listening, using sentiment and feedback tools for real-time improvement.
-
Elevate CX to leadership: Boards and CEOs must champion CX as a strategic priority, not a support function.
A Ghanaian Opportunity
Ghana is well-positioned for CX transformation. With a young, connected population, rising smartphone use, and competitive banking and telecom sectors, the foundation exists. What is needed is a mindset shift: recognising CX not just as service efficiency, but as a driver of retention, brand trust, and growth.
Imagine a Ghanaian bank that recognises your preferred channel, anticipates your needs, checks your satisfaction, and thanks you with a personalised gesture. This is achievable—not a dream. With leadership commitment, the right tools, and empowered teams, Ghanaian businesses can turn chaos into clarity.
Like the film that inspired its metaphor, today’s customer experience world is messy, fast, and complex. But the businesses that succeed will be those that embrace the chaos, unify their systems, and lead with empathy.
Because in the end, the real challenge is not whether customers will adapt to businesses—but whether businesses can adapt to customers.
The writer, Makafui Asante Amponsah, is Affluent Services Manager at Absa Bank Ghana Limited.
source: myjoyonline
