More than 90% of customers who are dissatisfied with your product will never complain; they\u2019ll 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our hand-picked statistics come from renowned sources like Microsoft, Accenture, Statista, and Gartner. We\u2019ve included some of the most recent information from market surveys, company research, and customer service studies to surveys of marketers, marketing executives, and customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve 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\u2019ve compiled a list of tips and tricks you can use to improve your service regardless of the size of your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Statista)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Segment)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019t initially plan to. Meanwhile, 40% said they purchased something more expensive than they originally intended due to the personalized experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(InMoment)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The numbers clearly show that high-quality customer service is a key factor in building brand loyalty. That\u2019s confirmed by customer experience stats from the 2018 Retail CX Trends Report<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Accenture)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The global 2018 customer service study by Microsoft surveyed more than 5,000 people worldwide. While it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Dimension Data)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s a huge problem since we\u2019ve already established that poor service can lead to brand switching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the proactive approach is popular among 66% of surveyed customers in the US, it\u2019s even more desirable in Japan (80%) and Brazil (89%). Age wasn\u2019t 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+.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Accenture)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Successful businesses do their best to provide a product or service that their customers need, enjoy, and trust. There\u2019s no better way to achieve this than by listening to customers\u2019 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\u2019s why there\u2019s a high demand for customer experience professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Ipsos)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s simply impossible to make such a broad claim with so many varying elements to consider. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019t know what they\u2019re doing insufferable. On the other hand, 40% of consumers over 55 think informed representatives are the most important customer service factor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Apptentive)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than half the customers in the UK (54%), Japan (53%), and Germany (58%) don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Microsoft\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Accenture)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019re also more susceptible to relevant advertising and word-of-mouth recommendations from friends online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Dimension Data)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Zendesk)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Aspect Software)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Social media customer service stats confirm what many companies already know \u2013 positive customer service is good customer service. Oddly enough, it doesn\u2019t 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 \u2013 it\u2019s a disinterested one. So be sure to keep your employees happy and motivated if you want them to successfully interact with customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Accenture)<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn 2020, global revenue from offline commerce channels is likely to decrease by almost 20%.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
95% of consumers say that customer service is a relevant factor in their choice of brand and their ongoing loyalty.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Only 30.4% of businesses have an executive accountable for customer experience.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
70% of customers think more highly of brands that contact them with proactive customer service notifications.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
90% of B2B leaders agree that customer experience plays a key role in their company\u2019s strategic priorities.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
59% of consumers worldwide have a deeper appreciation for brands that respond to customer service questions or complaints via social media.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
59% of consumers around the globe have higher customer service expectations now than they had a year ago.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The claim that it costs five times more to attract a customer than to retain one is a myth.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Customer Service Facts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
66% of consumers surveyed for Microsoft\u2019s 2018 State of Global Customer Service<\/em> report said they believe the quality of customer service is generally getting better.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
39% of customers believe engaging with customer service systems and having their questions answered is getting easier.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
For 33% of consumers, the most important aspect of a good customer service experience is getting their issue resolved in a single interaction.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
90% of consumers believe organizations should give them the opportunity to provide customer feedback.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
37% of consumers say they are only occasionally given the opportunity to provide feedback.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
97% of consumers are more likely to maintain loyalty to a brand that implements changes based on their feedback.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
51% of consumers think most brands don\u2019t take action or make changes when they receive customer feedback.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
76% of consumers believe a customer service representative should know their contact, product, and service information history.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
50% of worldwide consumers use three to five customer service channels, while 37% use one or two.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Typically, multi-channel customers are 15% more profitable than digital-only customers and up to 25% more profitable than human-only experiences.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Nearly 50% of companies understand that a solid omnichannel strategy will help them stand out and attract new clients.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Only 8.4% of businesses have all their channels connected.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
For 68% of users, phone support is the preferred solution.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
On average, 55% of consumers haven\u2019t used any type of social media for customer service.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Most consumers (72%) would rather interact with a happy agent and have the interaction take longer.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
According to Microsoft customer retention statistics<\/strong>, 66% of consumers first try self-service before engaging with an agent.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
42% of B2B executives report that their mobile strategy simply consists of offering a mobile-optimized website.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n