“Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With” – Serving a New Generation of Customer Wants, Needs and Expectations

David Avrin, President, The Customer Experience Advantage, USA reflects on the emotional foundations of customer behaviour. He emphasises that people don’t just spend money on products, they invest in connection, experience, and joy. Most decisions, he argues, are emotionally driven and only later rationalised. In a marketplace full of choice, what to buy, how to buy, and who to buy from, expectations are higher than ever. ADAPT data shows 70% of CIOs are now investing in generative AI (up from 50% in 2023), with AI consuming 4% of IT budgets. But David warns that customer preference doesn’t always align with these digital-first shifts, particularly when automation replaces meaningful human interaction.

He argues that while AI offers great potential, there’s a clear gap in understanding, adoption, and customer comfort. Customers increasingly demand speed, simplicity, and convenience, delivered in human-centred ways. Despite growing digital investments, 40% of technology still goes underused, highlighting…