What customers think

According to Bain & Company, 80% of CEOs believe their business delivers excellent customer service; only 8% of their customers agree. How is it possible that there is such a disconnect between what is perceived and what is real? In short, most companies lack customer feedback or do not have closed feedback loops. The lack of feedback prevents them from improving their service because there is no exposure to criticisms or suggestions for improvement.

So, what discourages customers from buying, and what could make the customer experience better? Statistics indicate that processes have become too automated, and personalization is lacking. For example, Harris Interactive found that 75% of respondents stated it takes too long to reach a live agent. This shows that companies are solely relying on AI-powered chatbots and automated systems.

Relying on automation wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing if the systems in place provided relevant assistance. But, unfortunately, that’s not the case. Over 29% of consumers say they find scripted responses most frustrating because they aren’t helpful.

Next, customer experience statistics showcase that automated systems such as IVR menus are excessively long and irrelevant, while integrated contact forms are too complicated to fill out. It’s a significant problem, as customers hate to waste their time, especially when the issue at hand is urgent. This feeling is mutual in all consumer groups. For example, B2B decision-makers say lack of speed in supplier interaction is their number one pain point, twice as often as price.

Customers want to do business with companies that are easily accessible on the channels that they prefer. For example, 57% of customers prefer to contact companies via digital channels rather than use voice-based customer support. Therefore, providing support on social media, email, live chat, and messaging apps is vital. In addition, customers want to know that if they encounter a problem, the companies they buy from will be easy to reach and willing to help them. In fact, customer support is so crucial that 86% of customers are willing to pay more if better service is guaranteed. Moreover, 80% of consumers believe better service encompasses speed, convenience, knowledgeable help, and friendly service.

As you can see, purchasing decisions are heavily influenced by service. More than 96% of customers around the globe say that customer service is an important factor in their choice of loyalty to a brand. In addition, 73% of all people point to experience as an essential factor in their purchasing decisions. Therefore, it’s imperative to perfect the customer experience through feedback and make changes according to your findings.