Whitepaper
CX roles of the future 2035
Foreword
Welcome to a new era in customer experience (CX)
Change is no longer coming — it’s now. AI technologies have rapidly become commonplace in our daily lives since the launch of ChatGPT at the end of 2022, transforming how we work... and it’s only the beginning. As brands reassess their strategies, today's big questions focus on what these technologies mean for the future and which use cases will yield the greatest ROI.
Today’s predictions — especially amid the rise of GenAI — swing between extreme optimism and dystopian fears. Whether a utopian promise of limitless capabilities or a cautionary tale echoing The Terminator’s Skynet, these extremes highlight the profound uncertainty of our time. As the pace of change accelerates, even leading futurists find it challenging to predict beyond 6-12 months, frequently updating forecasts to reflect the next innovation or latest failure.
Given this backdrop of uncertainty, you might wonder why anyone would attempt to predict the role of CX in 2035. This whitepaper isn't just another forecast; drawing on industry data and trends, it combines insights from our leaders and industry experts with invaluable feedback from over 800 client relationships here at Foundever®.
It’s crucial to recognize that not every prediction will unfold as anticipated. From the long-term forecast that voice channels would completely disappear to the hype surrounding the Metaverse in 2022, reality often refuses to conform to expectations. In the world of CX, both brand expectations and readiness and the preferences of end-consumers will significantly drive or slow the pace of change.
What we can be 100% certain of is that how we work in 2035 will be vastly different from today — just as work in 2024 was vastly different from 2014. Businesses will need to adapt to remain competitive, starting now to capture the opportunities of tomorrow. Consumers' need for emotional connection remains strong. The most successful brands will capture those new technological opportunities while building and protecting authentic customer relationships.
With deep appreciation to the many individuals who contributed to building this whitepaper, I’d like to extend specific thanks to Wayne Butterfield, Partner and Global Lead for Contact Center Transformation at ISG, as well as my Foundever colleague who is helping us shape the future of CX, Guillaume Laporte, Chief AI Officer.
The future is not on a distant horizon — it’s here, and it’s demanding that we urgently adapt our approach. Your mission (should you choose to accept it!) is to challenge yourself to rethink the status quo, embrace innovative strategies and take the lead in transforming CX.
Together, let’s not only prepare for the future; let’s boldly create it.
Martin Wilkinson-Brown
Chief Marketing Officer at Foundever
Introduction
Picture this: the year is 2035, and people and technology co-exist in harmony. The landscape of AI is profoundly transformed and seamlessly woven into the fabric of our day-to-days. We’ll be able to communicate in thought-to-thought mediums. Robots and unmanned systems are likely to be abundant.
These are, at least, some key predictions for what’s to come in the next decade. One thing we know for sure though: by 2035, work will be completely redefined.
What does this mean for the CX industry? How will technology and people work together in the contact center? How can you establish your brand as an innovation leader now, at a time when every competitor is flocking to AI at once?
In this whitepaper, we address these questions by diving into five key insights about the future of work:
The truth is that the future is coming quicker than quick, and as a leader in your industry, you need to understand how to cater to the inevitably evolving needs of your customers.
Ready for the future?