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Consumers have become far more selective about the apps and other digital services they use thanks to the wide range of options now available. As consumer expectations have risen to an all-time high, people have become less tolerant of poor digital experiences, according to a new index examining how consumers are engaging with digital services.
Research done by The AppDynamics App Attention Index 2021 notes that 75 percent of UAE customers (14 percent higher than global average) stated that their expectation of digital services has changed forever and that they won’t tolerate poor performance any longer. Of the customers interviewed by AppDynamics, 73 percent said that brands have one shot to impress them, and that if their service does not perform, they won’t use them again.
The research included interviews with more than 13,000 consumers, including 2,000 interviews in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and 1,000 interviews in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, Singapore and the UAE.
Overall 83 percent of customers reported having encountered problems with applications and digital services in the past 12 months and most are now far more likely to take action when they do. That includes switching to an alternative service, sharing their negative experiences with other people, or deleting the digital service permanently.
Compared with two years ago, very few people are now willing to suffer in silence when they encounter a performance issue with an application, the report said.
Brands take the rap for the app
Consumers in the UAE are more aware than ever about the different components that make up an incredible digital experience but, for them the buck stops with the brand. And unfortunately, brands ‘take the rap for the app’, the report said.
According to the The AppDynamics App Attention Index, 74 percent of UAE consumers (14 percent higher than global average) blame the application or brand when they encounter a problem with a digital service, irrespective of the issue.
Sixty nine percent of customers believe it’s the responsibility of the brand to ensure that the digital service or application works perfectly.
Linda Tong, vice president and general manager of Cisco AppDynamics, said: “Applications have become the lifeline to normality for people in every corner of the world and consumers are no longer willing to settle for anything less than a perfect digital experience. Technologists are now under more pressure than ever to deliver the ‘total application experience’ to users within their first interaction."
Globally, 60 percent of people blame the application or brand when they encounter a problem with a digital service, irrespective of the issue. And 72 percent of people believe it’s the responsibility of the brand to ensure that the digital service or application works perfectly.
"It doesn’t matter whether a problem is ‘internal’ to the application or brand, or due to an external factor, consumers immediately blame the brand or application owner. And frustration levels rise even higher if people encounter a problem when using a paid-for, premium application or subscription service," the research report noted.
"Consumers simply aren’t interested in the cause of the problem, they just want and expect the application to work properly. And if it doesn’t, then they take it as a personal affront," it said.
(Writing by Seban Scaria; editing by Daniel Luiz)
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