A business audience left a breakfast forum well and truly inspired after hearing the importance of a more human and empathetic approach to customer experience.

Customer champion Ali Carmichael, Co-Founder of Experience UX, was guest speaker at the event organised by South Coast accountancy firm, Inspire, at Parkstone Yacht Club.

Ali’s presentation – ‘When it comes to Customer Experience, the customer is forgotten’ – proved highly thought-provoking as he gave a passionate talk on the pivotal role user experience (UX) plays in a business’ success.

Declaring that the ‘customer experience is the new competitive battlefield’, Ali revealed that while 80 per cent of companies believe they deliver a great customer experience, only eight per cent of customers agree – a surprising statistic that hit home with the audience.

He went on to champion a more human, empathetic approach to customer experience, stating that brand loyalty can be achieved through understanding human behaviour and creating a positive customer journey at every touch point.

Chris Downing, Director of Inspire, said that with 20 years’ experience in the digital sector and a reputation for designing forward-thinking user-centric services, Ali’s insights had been well received by the entrepreneurial business leaders present.

He added: “It was great to see the effect that Ali’s words had on people, hearing them talk to each other about how they look after customers in their business and how they could improve that.

“The forum was another success for Inspire, and another opportunity for the business community to come together, share their knowledge, and learn from inspiring thought leaders.”

To register your interest and be part of the next Inspire breakfast forum, phone 0800 0776410 or email [email protected]