Customer experience continues to rule when it comes to a company's ability to attract new business, repeat customers, and brand loyalty.

In a recent survey commissioned by Forbes Advisor, 53 percent of consumers said the experience a company offers matters as much as the products or services it provides. 

Further, the most influential factor for maintaining customer loyalty is customer service, according to the Forbes Advisor's Customer Experience Trends survey, conducted by OnePoll. 

Even with all the data and discussion about the importance of customer experience, there remains a few blurred lines. So here's a clarification of 4 statements that aren't completely true about the customer experience.

The customer experience comes down to how your business reacts to problems and complaints. 

While this element — solving issues, troubleshooting, etc. — is certainly a critical component of the customer experience, it isn't as simple as just that.

Insead, view the customer service piece as a key component of the customer experience, a block if you will, for forming and sustaining long term relationships.

"It's not just about handling inquiries and solving problems; it's about building trust and loyalty, which are critical for a small business's growth and reputation," explains a blog on Warespace, which specializes in creating and tailoring warehouse space for small businesses.

It takes a “real” person to elevate customer experiences. 

Automated technology such as AI is being used to help businesses in several areas, from processes to marketing efforts, and it's also proving an effective, real-time tool for customer service and overall CX.

"When it comes to the integration of technology in customer experiences, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer an abstraction but a concrete part of the business-customer interaction," says a Forbes blog about CX trends.

Zendesk's CX Trends Report last year found that 71 percent of customers believe AI and chatbots help them get faster replies, which is an important factor in positive customer experiences.

Customers told another poll that they like the ease and convenience of interacting with chatbots, according to the Journal of Retail and Consumer Services, as shared in a post on American Public University's website.

Chatbots and other AI-automated technology are revolutionizing customer service, declares a Sprout Social blog.

"They make it easier to manage large volumes of requests, provide 24/7 support for simple questions and enable human agents to focus on more intricate tasks," says the Sprout Social post. “They also integrate insights from customer data to help personalize agent responses."

Bots can be viewed by retail businesses as an added benefit to a company's customer service offering because it provides faster service, writes T. Leigh Buehler, an assistant professor who teaches retail management, in the APU article.

"The customer experience is a crucial component of retail management. Companies are implementing AI in customer service to better serve their customers."

Remember, anything you do to make purchases fast and convenient will help you enhance the retail customer experience.  

Customer Service is a department or support function for customers after a sale. 

Of course not. Customer service is much more than post-transaction assistance.

"Customer service doesn't start after a purchase. It begins when someone first learns of your business and then continues long after they've made a purchase," writes Samir Sampat, marketing manager for Smith.ai, in a blog on the company's website.

"The quality of that experience, from first touch through ongoing support, will dictate whether they buy from you again, recommend you to others, and so much more."

It's best to stick by what you've always done. 

This is a misguided statement when applied to just about every aspect of running a business, not just customer experience.

Successful business owners have come to understand the importance of keeping up with — and adapting to — trends and changes in the industry and economy that could impact their sales and revenues, including consumer preferences and technology advances.

The landscape of customer service is constantly evolving, and companies need to keep up to be successful, notes the Warespace blog.

 "Small businesses must adapt to these changes, leveraging new technologies to meet the increasing expectations of today's consumers. Staying ahead in customer service means being proactive, innovative, and adaptable." 

Also, personalizing customer experiences can go a long way toward achieving worthwhile customer experience outcomes. Learn more here. 

Have you considered doing a customer service SWOT analysis? If so, you'll want to see How to Conduct a Customer Service SWOT Analysis.