Top 100+ Customer Service Statistics and Trends in 2023

We’ve scoured reports from industry leaders and compiled a complete list of the most compelling customer support statistics that will up-level your customer service.

Table of contents:

• 15 key customer service takeaways
• What are customers willing to pay for
• How poor customer service impacts your business
• Creating customer loyalty through excellent service
• The importance of privacy in customer service
• How customer service varies by channel and medium
• Even more ways that customer experience impacts your business
• Links to studies

If you’re looking for more information on meeting the service needs of modern customers, don’t forget to check out our other content:

• Leadership Talk: The Modern State of Customer Support
• How to Deal with Angry Customers: 12+ Tips that Always Work
• Cloud vs. Traditional Contact Centers: 5+ Reasons to Embrace Cloud-based Technology

15 Key Customer Service Takeaways

When customers are willing to pay more for good service

16. ​​​​A significant 63% of Gen Z individuals are willing to pay a premium for a quality mobile experience (PWC).

17. Among those with an annual income under $50,000, 50% express a willingness to pay more for exceptional customer service, compared to only 19% who are unwilling (Hyken).

18. In a group of people earning over $100,000 annually, a substantial 66% state their willingness to pay more, while nearly 15% express unwillingness to do so (Hyken).

19. Nearly 70% of customers are open to paying more for a convenient experience (Hyken).

20. More than 40% of customers are willing to pay extra for the convenience of same-day delivery (PWC).

21. Convenience in delivery is a priority for over 90% of customers, who are willing to pay extra for this service (Hyken).

22. Only 15% of customers are willing to pay more for engaging design, and 12% would do the same for a great atmosphere (PWC).

23. A notable 72% of organizations have a clearly defined customer success strategy in place (Regalix).

24. Nearly 80% of business leaders affirm that customers spend more (34% on average) when they receive a personalized experience (Segment).

How poor customer service impacts your business

25. After encountering more than one negative experience, approximately 80% of consumers prefer doing business with a competitor (Zendesk).

26. It takes a total of 12 positive customer experiences to compensate for a single negative one, according to Ruby Newell-Legner’s “Understanding Customers.”

27. Across all industries, there is a 38% gap between customer expectations and actual service delivery (Hyken).

28. Only one in five consumers is willing to forgive a bad experience at a company with customer service rated as “very poor.” However, nearly 80% are forgiving if they rate the service team as “very good” (Qualtrics XM Institute).

29. A significant 78% of customers have abandoned a purchase due to a poor customer experience (Glance).

30. Approximately 70% of the customer’s journey is shaped by how the customer perceives their treatment (McKinsey).

31. If a problem is service-based, a customer is four times more likely to switch to a competitor (Bain and Company).

32. 61% of customers indicate they would switch to a competitor after just one bad customer service experience (Zendesk).

33. For 72% of customers, explaining a problem to multiple people results in a bad customer service interaction (Zendesk).

34. A noteworthy 79% of high-income households avoid brands for at least two years after a negative experience (Zendesk).

35. If they receive unfriendly service, 60% of customers would cease buying from a brand (PWC).

36. A staggering 96% of customers leave a brand due to poor customer service (Hyken).

37. When employees lack knowledge, 46% of all customers stop doing business with a brand (PWC).

38. Globally, 59% of consumers believe that companies no longer understand the human element of customer experience (PWC).

39. A significant 95% of customers share a bad experience with others, while 87% share a good customer service experience (Zendesk).

Creating customer loyalty through excellent service

The importance of privacy in customer service

50. A significant 88% of individuals trust companies that commit to not sharing their personal information without permission (Salesforce).

51. An overwhelming 92% of customers value companies that grant them control over the information collected about them (Salesforce).

52. Social media is employed as a data collection and analysis tool by 23% of businesses (Gartner).

53. An impressive 79% of customers are willing to provide relevant information about themselves in exchange for personalized interactions that immediately recognize and understand their needs (Salesforce).

54. For 56% of customers, sharing personal information in exchange for improved service is acceptable (Salesforce).

55. A solid 90% of people are more inclined to trust a company if it has a robust privacy policy (Salesforce).

56. A majority (63%) of customers would be more open to sharing their data if they truly value the service (PWC).

57. A significant 61% of customers feel that they’ve lost control over how their personal information is used (Salesforce).

58. Only 40% of customers trust brands to securely and responsibly handle their personal data (Segment).

59. Just 27% of customers have a complete understanding of how companies utilize their personal information (Salesforce).

How customer service varies by channel and medium

60. For 67% of customers aged under 40, the preferred mode of communication is texting (Hyken).

61. Chatbots are employed for customer service by 67% of organizations (Salesforce).

62. Among customers over the age of 40, the easiest means of communication for 66% is through telephone and email (Hyken).

63. Social media (preferred by 12% of customers) and websites (preferred by 10% of customers) rank as the least-preferred customer engagement channels (Regalix).

64. Agent consoles or computers are utilized for managing the majority (54%) of customer calls (Salesforce).

65. Simple issues could be addressed through interaction with a bot, according to 69% of customers (Zendesk).

66. An impressive 98% of customers make use of FAQ, help centers, or other self-service online resources (Zendesk).

67. Digital channels are the preferred mode of engagement for 57% of customers (Salesforce).

68. In comparison to in-store purchases, 53% of customers prefer buying products online (Salesforce).

69. On average, 35% of consumers find the self-service option highly important (Emplifi).

70. For simple matters, 65% of customers prefer self-service options (Salesforce).

71. Contacting customer service through social media is considered convenient by 67% of customers (Zendesk).

72. A substantial 76% of clients expect to receive a response within 24 hours when contacting a brand on social media (Sproutsocial).

Even more ways that customer experience impacts your business

73. Customer experience is a critical factor in purchasing decisions for 73% of clients (PWC).

74. A remarkable 90% of consumers trust a company that they’ve rated as “very good” to cater to their needs (Qualtrics XM Institute).

75. For 70% of customers, the awareness of sales interactions by service agents is pivotal in retaining their business (Salesforce).

76. The expectation that businesses know their unique needs and expectations is held by 63% of consumers, and 76% of B2B buyers share the same expectation (Salesforce Research).

77. Providing cutting-edge digital experiences is seen as necessary by 59% of customers to maintain their business relationships with companies (Salesforce).

78. Including personalized consumer experiences can improve your online conversion rate by approximately 8% (Trust Pilot).

79. An overwhelming 88% of customers today have higher expectations compared to the past (HubSpot).

80. While nearly 76% expect consistent interactions across departments, 54% believe that sales, marketing, and customer service teams don’t share information (Salesforce).

81. Understanding their unique needs and expectations is desired by 73% of customers (Salesforce).

82. A significant 76% of customers expect to engage with a customer representative immediately upon first contact with a company (Zendesk).

83. A friendly, welcoming service defines industry success for 48% of U.S. consumers (PWC).

84. A quick response to the initial inquiry impacts the choice of the company to buy from for 89% of clients (Zendesk).

85. The speed at which their problem is resolved defines good customer service for 69% of consumers (Zendesk).

86. For almost 80% of American consumers, the most important elements of a good customer experience are speed, convenience, knowledgeable help, and friendly service (PWC).

87. Company employees have a significant impact on the experience for 71% of customers (PWC).

88. The experience a company provides is as important as its products and services for 80% of customers (Salesforce).

89. 87% of companies believe that customer success programs have aided clients in adopting products and services (Regalix).

90. Customer support having access to the status of their most recent order is expected by 64% of Baby Boomers (Epsilon).

91. A satisfying experience with a company is reported by 77% of customers (Hyken).

92. Sales reps who understand their goals are more likely to be chosen by 84% of customers (Salesforce).

93. Poor quality of product or service leads a 34% decrease in continued customer purchases from a brand (Morning Consult).

94. The experiences with one industry influence the expectations for others for 62% of customers (Salesforce).

95. Loyalty is driven for 63% of customers when they receive a discount within an hour of interacting with a brand (Segment).

96. Personalization is attractive to 90% of customers (Epsilon).

97. A 5% increase in customer retention results in more than a 25% increase in profit (Bain & Company).

98. On average, customer service agents only ask for a customer’s name 21% of the time (Glance).

99. The pandemic has raised customer service expectations for 48% of clients (Zendesk).

100. Despite technological advances, 55% of customers believe we will still need support agents for positive customer experiences (PWC).

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Other articles you might be interested in:

• Leadership Talk: The Modern State of Customer Support
• How to Deal with Angry Customers: 12+ Tips that Always Work
• Cloud vs. Traditional Contact Centers: 5+ Reasons to Embrace Cloud-based Technology

References:

• 15 Customer Self-Service and Experience Stats To Know (2020) – Vanilla Forum
• Emplifi Consumer Expectations Report
• Zendesk CX Trends Report 2022 – AI and automation
• Connect employee engagement with performance – Gallup
• Americans Have Increased Their Impulse Spending by 14% in 2022 Compared to 2021, According to Annual Survey Commissioned by Slickdeals
• Customer journey needs statistics
• Customer Onboarding Statistics 2020
• Customer Service and Business Results: A Survey of Customer Service from Mid-Size Companies
• Customer Service and Customer Experience Report
• Customer service is worse than ever and so is consumers’ rage
• CUSTOMERS 2020: A PROGRESS REPORT
• Employee Motivation in the United States
• Experience is everything: Here’s how to get it right
• Global State of Customer Service
• Global study: Consumer engagement best practices for 2020
• Local Consumer Review Survey 2020
• New Epsilon research indicates 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences
• Prescription for Cutting Costs
• State of customer success
• STATE OF SERVICE
• The State of Customer Service in 2020
• The Value of Online Customer Loyalty and How You Can Capture It
• What Are Customer Expectations, and How Have They Changed?
• WHAT DRIVES BRAND LOYALTY TODAY
• What is the impact of customer service on lifetime customer value?
• Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report 2020
• The State of Customer Service in 2022 [HubSpot Data]
• Salesforce Report: Nearly 90% Of Buyers Say Experience a Company Provides Matters as Much as Products or Services
• Zendesk CX Trends Report 2022 – Challenges
• Salesforce State of the Connected Customer 4th Edition
• Live Chat Exposes a Fatal Flaw in Your Go-to-Market
• Zendesk research: customer satisfaction
• Zendesk CX Trends Report 2022 – Growth Areas
• The social media customer service statistics brands need to know in 2022
• Forrester’s US 2022 Customer Experience Index: Nearly 20% Of Brands See Drop In Customer Experience Quality – Forrester