What do Customers Want? – 37 Customer Service Statistics

By Andrea

June 17, 2023

More than 90% of customers who are dissatisfied with your product will never complain; they’ll simply leave. Those who leave will tell at least 15 of their buddies just how disappointing your business is. Millennials expect you to respond to their Facebook messages within an hour. They are prepared to wait four hours before they give up on you indefinitely. 

Our customer service statistics underscore the importance of your support service and help you avoid mistakes made by the 70% of businesses that perish within 10 years.

Our hand-picked statistics come from renowned sources like Microsoft, Accenture, Statista, and Gartner. We’ve included some of the most recent information from market surveys, company research, and customer service studies to surveys of marketers, marketing executives, and customers. 

We’ve combined global and domestic data from a number of countries including the US, the UK, Germany, Brazil, and Japan to show how customer service and customer experience are becoming increasingly important aspects of every business. In addition to more than 30 stats, we’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks you can use to improve your service regardless of the size of your business.

Top Customer Service Stats – Editor’s Choice

• 31% of companies see customer service as more of an expense than a growth opportunity.
• 95% of consumers indicate that customer service is important to their choice of brand and loyalty.
• 13% of unsatisfied customers tell 15 or more people that they’re unhappy with a particular product or service. 
• 59% of consumers around the world say they have higher customer service expectations today than they had a year ago.
• Nearly 50% of companies know that having a solid omnichannel marketing strategy will help them stand out and capture new clients.
• Roughly 58% of consumers say it takes several really bad experiences to dump a brand.

66% of US customers do more business with companies thanks to quality customer service.

(Statista)

This figure is based on a 2018 survey involving more than a thousand respondents. According to customer service statistics from 2017, the number of people doing business with companies due to good customer support was 2% higher. We can conclude that customer service continues to play a significant role for the majority of consumers.

44% of consumers say they are likely to become repeat buyers after a personalized shopping experience.

(Segment)

A 2017 Segment report that surveyed 1,006 Americans aged 18 or older came up with some interesting customer service results. Of those surveyed, 49% revealed they bought a product after a personalized recommendation even though they didn’t initially plan to. Meanwhile, 40% said they purchased something more expensive than they originally intended due to the personalized experience.

77% of consumers admit they’ve fostered relationships with specific brands for 10 years or more.

(InMoment)

The numbers clearly show that high-quality customer service is a key factor in building brand loyalty. That’s confirmed by customer experience stats from the 2018 Retail CX Trends Report that surveyed 1,300 American consumers from various age groups, including millennials. As many as 60% of the surveyed millennials had decade-long relationships with brands despite their young age.

In 2020, global revenue from offline commerce channels is likely to decrease by almost 20%.

(Accenture)

Customer service trends need to change with the times. Today, people are less inclined to leave the house for their daily purchases. The shift from offline to online commerce channels has huge implications for the way B2B organizations handle their digital channels. This puts a lot more pressure on online support agents and their relationship with a growing number of customers.

95% of consumers say that customer service is a relevant factor in their choice of brand and their ongoing loyalty.

(Microsoft)

The global 2018 customer service study by Microsoft surveyed more than 5,000 people worldwide. While it’s interesting that almost all surveyees agreed on the importance of customer service, a large percentage of them actually did something about it. In total, 61% of respondents changed the brands they dealt with because of poor customer service.

Only 30.4% of businesses have an executive accountable for customer experience.

(Dimension Data)

Although vital for customer acquisition and retention, higher customer service management is still rare. According to customer service data, most businesses handle the issue at a business unit level rather than an executive level. This approach to customer experience often results in serious systemic flaws. It’s a huge problem since we’ve already established that poor service can lead to brand switching.

70% of customers think more highly of brands that contact them with proactive customer service notifications.

(Microsoft)

While the proactive approach is popular among 66% of surveyed customers in the US, it’s even more desirable in Japan (80%) and Brazil (89%). Age wasn’t a major factor in these statistics from proactive customer service companies. Of those who approve of the proactive approach, 74% are aged 18 to 34 and 65% are 55+.

90% of B2B leaders agree that customer experience plays a key role in their company’s strategic priorities.

(Accenture)

Successful businesses do their best to provide a product or service that their customers need, enjoy, and trust. There’s no better way to achieve this than by listening to customers’ suggestions, questions, and complaints. Businesses allocate a great deal of resources to get an in-depth understanding of the sort of experiences that customers have with their products. That’s why there’s a high demand for customer experience professionals.

59% of consumers worldwide have a deeper appreciation for brands that respond to customer service questions or complaints via social media.

(Microsoft)

This number is higher in the US (47%) than in the UK (46%). Once again, customers in Japan (59%) and Brazil (85%) are especially appreciative of brands that communicate with customers in this fashion. Age plays an important role in these social media customer service statistics. Around 77% of respondents aged 18 to 34 expect the brands they use to respond via social media channels. On the other hand, only 40% of the 55+ age group feel the same way.

59% of consumers around the globe have higher customer service expectations now than they had a year ago.

(Microsoft)

This figure varies slightly depending on what corner of the globe the customer is in. For example, 50% of respondents in Germany have higher customer service expectations today, while in the US that figure stands at 56%. Brazilians expect the biggest improvements with 82% reporting higher expectations.

The claim that it costs five times more to attract a customer than to retain one is a myth.

(Ipsos)

This is a highly controversial claim, and research published by Ipsos Loyalty dismisses it as a fallacy. Although the true cost of poor customer service is still being debated, research suggests that it’s simply impossible to make such a broad claim with so many varying elements to consider. 

Customer Service Facts

66% of consumers surveyed for Microsoft’s 2018 State of Global Customer Service report said they believe the quality of customer service is generally getting better.

(Microsoft)

In individual countries that sentiment is shared by 58% of Americans, 66% of Britons, and 60% of Germans. In Japan and Brazil, a slightly higher percentage of customers are satisfied with the level of improvements, with 74% and 78% respectively. 

39% of customers believe engaging with customer service systems and having their questions answered is getting easier.

(Microsoft)

However, 35% say they see no changes in the level of complexity, and 26% report that customer service is getting more difficult to handle. Response variations in the US are subtle, with 36% of respondents believing customer engagement is getting easier, 34% seeing no difference, and 30% claiming it’s getting harder. According to customer service statistics, 30% of Britons and 34% of Germans feel that engagements with customer service agents are becoming increasingly difficult.

For 33% of consumers, the most important aspect of a good customer service experience is getting their issue resolved in a single interaction.

(Microsoft)

Next on the list is a knowledgeable customer service agent with 31% of global respondents saying this was the most important criterion for a good experience. Statistics on customer service vary significantly when it comes to age. Only 27% of customers aged 18 to 34 find representatives who don’t know what they’re doing insufferable. On the other hand, 40% of consumers over 55 think informed representatives are the most important customer service factor. 

90% of consumers believe organizations should give them the opportunity to provide customer feedback.

(Microsoft)

The survey looked at Brazil, Germany, Japan, the US, and UK, and almost everyone agrees on this one regardless of age or gender. But the digital customer service statistics also revealed that as many as 25% of Japanese customers are never interested in giving any type of customer service feedback.

37% of consumers say they are only occasionally given the opportunity to provide feedback.

(Microsoft)

Only 17% believe that they are often given the opportunity to express concerns or ask questions, while a mere 7% believe this always happens. These findings suggest that listening to customers may be of the utmost importance nowadays.

97% of consumers are more likely to maintain loyalty to a brand that implements changes based on their feedback.

(Apptentive)

Statistics on how customer service improves sales confirm that feedback is important. Nothing makes customers feel more appreciated than seeing their preferred brand respond to their input. A sense of belonging to a community that cares about its customers and values their opinions helps businesses grow. 

51% of consumers think most brands don’t take action or make changes when they receive customer feedback.

(Microsoft)

More than half the customers in the UK (54%), Japan (53%), and Germany (58%) don’t think their feedback is taken seriously. But customer service statistics from 2018 show that customers in the US and Brazil are slightly less cynical, with 55% of Americans and 56% of Brazilians believing their feedback leads to action.

76% of consumers believe a customer service representative should know their contact, product, and service information history.

(Microsoft)

Most people in the surveyed countries agree on this one, regardless of sex and age. The high expectations range from 64% in Japan to 93% in Brazil. But based on the experiences of 31% of the respondents, customer agents only have access to all this information occasionally. 

50% of worldwide consumers use three to five customer service channels, while 37% use one or two.

(Microsoft)

Microsoft’s customer service graph shows that 39% of those surveyed prefer support via phone or another voice channel like Skype. Meanwhile, 20% prefer email and 16% would much rather have live chat support. Surprisingly, only 5% of consumers prefer contacting organizations via social media, despite spending so much of their online time on these platforms. 

Typically, multi-channel customers are 15% more profitable than digital-only customers and up to 25% more profitable than human-only experiences.

(Accenture)

Nothing is free, not even free accounts on social media. The average consumer is simply more valuable if they have a social media presence. They’re also more susceptible to relevant advertising and word-of-mouth recommendations from friends online. 

Nearly 50% of companies understand that a solid omnichannel strategy will help them stand out and attract new clients.

(Microsoft)

These carefully collected customer service statistics indicate that most businesses are well aware of the importance of quality customer service. Microsoft reported that most customers have gone through multiple channels to get their questions answered. In fact, 9% used more than six customer service channels.

Only 8.4% of businesses have all their channels connected.

(Dimension Data)

Organizations are still struggling to provide a connected customer journey despite the fact that customer satisfaction statistics show these to be essential tools. The entirety of the customer service industry is plagued by system integration issues. Inconsistent data formats, lack of relevant education, and poor management in general all contribute to this. In many cases, channels are managed separately and fail to work towards a common goal. 

For 68% of users, phone support is the preferred solution.

(Zendesk)

Slightly fewer than half (47%) of users typically go for email support, while 34% use chat. Another 41% are more likely to search for the solution themselves through the site’s FAQ section or Google. Considering the high percentage of problems with customer service, it makes sense that some users simply bypass support agents and try to tackle the problem themselves. 

On average, 55% of consumers haven’t used any type of social media for customer service.

(Microsoft)

Of those who have, 32% used Facebook, 13% used YouTube and Twitter, 9% used Instagram, 4% used Linkedin, and 3% used other platforms. Although it may seem easier to seek assistance via social media, most customers still prefer speaking directly to a support agent over the phone. Brazil is the exception here, with 61% of respondents in that country saying they rely on Facebook for customer service.

Most consumers (72%) would rather interact with a happy agent and have the interaction take longer.

(Aspect Software)

Social media customer service stats confirm what many companies already know – positive customer service is good customer service. Oddly enough, it doesn’t seem to matter how long an interaction takes as long as the customer service agent keeps spirits high. The worst alternative is not an annoyed, impatient, or even downright rude online virtual agent – it’s a disinterested one. So be sure to keep your employees happy and motivated if you want them to successfully interact with customers. 

According to Microsoft customer retention statistics, 66% of consumers first try self-service before engaging with an agent.

(Microsoft)

Of the 5,000 people surveyed, 43% say the main reason self-service is inefficient is due to a lack of information. The information was likely available but too complex to understand or too difficult to find. Only 22% of respondents said their issue turned out to be too complex to solve using self-service. A detailed, informative, and easy-to-manage automated self-service platform will save your business a lot of money on digital customer service. 

42% of B2B executives report that their mobile strategy simply consists of offering a mobile-optimized website.

(Accenture)

B2B customer service statistics advise businesses to turn their attention to mobile devices to increase their visibility. Only 32% of executives say they leverage mobile via their web channels. In other words, they don’t have apps, and customers have to track them down via web browsers. Also, 9% admitted to having no mobile strategy at all. Embracing this platform and providing an integrated customer experience is a logical and necessary step for all businesses that plan to survive in the long run.

Poor Customer Service Statistics

61% of consumers have ditched brands due to poor customer service.

(Microsoft)

Nearly half of those who switched brands due to poor customer service did so in the 12 months leading up to the 2018 Microsoft study. The percentages varied throughout the surveyed countries with 76% of Brazilians abandoning brands over customer support. In Japan, dissatisfaction levels stood at 48%.

Stats on bad customer service show that only one out of 26 unhappy customers complain.

(HuffPost)

Esteban Kolsky, a former Gartner analyst and ThinkJar founder, published a study revealing that fewer than 4% of unsatisfied customers actually make a complaint. If you think the absence of complaints signals customer satisfaction, you are sorely mistaken. Not only should companies take their customers’ complaints seriously, but they should also seek feedback well before it gets to the complaint stage. The true enemy here is indifference. 

13% of unsatisfied customers tell 15 or more people when they’re unhappy with a product/service.

(Think Jar)

Not only will your dissatisfied customers abandon your brand without giving you a chance to improve, but they’ll also badmouth you behind your back. It’s one of the most important customer service facts you need to know. With every unsatisfied customer, you’re likely to lose 15+ prospective ones. Those are some serious long-term consequences. 

Companies that ignore support requests on social media have a 15% higher average churn rate than those that do respond.

(BigCommerce)

Friends, colleagues, and meme pages typically respond to messages within minutes. As a business, you have a bit more leeway; 42% of customers expect you to respond within an hour. Some smaller businesses can achieve this with a single social media manager, while large enterprises will probably need to hire a social media management team. Follow the advice from these social media customer support stats and improve your response rate today.

91% of unhappy customers who don’t complain simply leave.

(Think Jar)

A recent survey involving hundreds of customer service and experience management professionals indicates that one can’t overstate the importance of customer support and experience. In fact, 87.2% of organizations agree that customer loyalty correlates directly with commercial success. If you want your customers to stay loyal to your brand, you need to do your best to provide a top-notch customer experience. 

Roughly 58% of consumers say it takes several really bad experiences to dump a brand.

(InMoment)

InMoment’s article on customer support trends in 2018 surveyed 1,300 US consumers. Of these, 34% said that ditching a brand is a matter of “growing apart.” In business as in life, the gradual decrease in customer experiences that made them feel special, valued, and relevant results in a different, more resourceful brand grabbing their attention.

19% of customers say they only give a brand one shot.

(InMoment)

The most demanding customers make for just under 20% of your overall user base, which might not appear too bad. Still, keep in mind that every customer who ditches you in anger is likely to tell at least 15 friends how terrible your business is. These bad customer service statistics highlight the need for quality online customer experience management tools to help you keep track of user satisfaction. You also need an uncompromising policy that values kind, approachable customer service staff. 

31% of companies in 2020 see customer service as more of an expense than a growth opportunity.

(HubSpot)

Despite its numerous benefits, companies are still not investing as much as they should in their customer service departments. To make matters worse, this customer service trend in 2020 seems to be on the rise. In 2019, 29% of businesses viewed customer support an expense rather than an opportunity. When asked about the customers themselves, 93% of support professionals agreed that they’ve become a lot more demanding.

52% of companies look for customer service feedback on review sites and social media.

(HubSpot)

Companies have finally figured out that they need to pay attention to what their customers have to say. More than half of them keep a watchful eye on online reviews. Hubspot’s customer service statistics from 2020 tell us that a promising 59% of companies rely on surveys to get feedback from their customers, while 24% of them establish a formal customer advocacy program.

42% of companies use a help desk system for their customer support needs.

(HubSpot)

However, the preferred methods differ between high and low growth companies. The help desk system is popular among high-growth companies, with 51% using this option as opposed to just 29% of low-growth firms. This doesn’t necessarily mean that a help desk system will help the growth of a company, but you shouldn’t rule it out.