Cisco is forecasting a fundamental shift in customer experience (CX)—driven by advanced AI, unified data, personalisation at scale, and Rich Communication Services. These trends are expected to elevate loyalty and meet rising expectations, especially in the Middle East.
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GLOCisco is forecasting a fundamental shift in customer experience (CX)—driven by advanced AI, unified data, personalization at scale, and Rich Communication Services. These trends are expected to elevate loyalty and meet rising expectations, especially in the Middle East.
A Widespread CX Gap
A recent global Cisco survey found that only 25% of customers reported being very satisfied with their most recent service interaction, and a staggering 94% abandoned brand engagement altogether due to poor experiences. This dissatisfaction underscores the urgency for brands to embrace more seamless, engaging, and data-driven approaches.
1. Agentic AI Will Redefine Self‑Service
Cisco highlights that agentic AI, with autonomy and reasoning capabilities, is set to reshape self-service across voice and digital channels. Unlike current bots, these intelligent agents converse naturally, resolve problems more swiftly, and reduce customer frustration. They also allow human agents to handle nuanced or high-value cases, improving overall efficiency.
Notably, 79% of leading CX organizations already use AI-powered virtual agents, compared to only 7% of laggards— highlighting a clear gap between early adopters and slower movers.
2. Hyper‑Personalization Becomes Imperative
Cisco predicts that personalization powered by AI will shift from differentiation to expectation. Organizations will analyze customer data to anticipate needs, tailor journeys, and enable upsell opportunities through automated yet empathetic engagement. AI will facilitate proactive messaging — such as appointment reminders and pre-emptive problem resolution — fostering trust and reducing support friction. 61% of CX leaders are already delivering these proactive experiences with AI, versus just 6% of lagging organizations.
3. RCS Messaging Goes Mainstream
Rich Communication Services (RCS) will see rapid adoption, especially now that it supports both Android and iOS. Its rich-media capabilities, interactivity, end-to-end encryption, and verified sender identities make it an ideal channel for promotional messaging, billing, and conversational engagement. Cisco expects RCS to establish itself as the new communications standard across platforms.
4. Unified Data Is Non-Negotiable for Intelligent CX
Delivering AI-powered, deeply personalized, and proactive experiences requires organizations to unify data across systems and channels. Cisco emphasizes that brands need a single customer view to enable real-time observations, smooth handoffs between human and AI agents, and predictive service interventions. That level of data integration is essential for reducing friction and optimizing satisfaction across the customer journey.
Middle East in Focus
Within the Middle East, organizations are racing to catch up with global CX innovation. AI adoption is being accelerated by national digital transformation strategies such as Saudi Vision 2030 and the UAE’s National AI Strategy 2031. Businesses are customizing CX technology to account for regional language diversity, cultural norms, and local expectations—balancing automation with human interaction to maintain trust and service quality.
Ahmad Zureiki, Director of Collaboration Business, Cisco Middle East & Africa, underscored the importance of strategic AI investment: focusing on customer impact, agent productivity, and operational effectiveness. For him, AI must be implemented thoughtfully to set new benchmarks in engagement across the region.
Greater Context and Long-Term Outlook
Cisco research forecasts that agentic AI will handle up to 68% of customer service and support interactions by 2028, with 56% automated as early as 2026. Despite AI’s penetration, human interaction remains vital—96% of surveyed respondents affirm its importance, and 89% expect a blend of AI and human empathy in support experiences.
Cisco’s integrated CX strategy combines traditional machine learning with generative AI to deliver precise, context-aware customer insights and predictive actions. This hybrid model ensures accuracy and emotional resonance—especially across planning, deployment, operations, and support phases of the customer lifecycle.
Companies that proactively adopt agentic AI, unify data, personalize reliably, and embrace modern communication channels like RCS are poised to lead the next wave of CX excellence. Cisco frames these capabilities as not optional enhancements—but core differentiators in a customer-first world.
For the Middle East and global markets alike, Cisco’s CX Predictions serve as both a roadmap and a wake-up call: brands must invest in AI‑enabled infrastructure, data integration, and customer-centric strategy now—or risk falling behind as expectations accelerate.
Source: Cisco / GLO
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