Insights /

State of Customer Service Experience 2020-2021

In today’s marketplace, reducing customer effort is one of the most effective ways to drive growth and ensure loyalty. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the need for companies to make the customer experience as effortless as possible. Online shopping and digital tools have become the ”new normal” and the need for self-service options enabling faster, easier ways to contact companies for service issues and inquiries has never been greater. The challenges this digital transformation presents for companies will continue post-pandemic, yet most companies are not adequately prepared.

Highlights from the new report include:

• Online shopping is the new normal – 68% of customers increased their online shopping during the pandemic and 68% plan to shop at the same rate or more post-pandemic.
• Preference for and use of self-service apps and digital tools increased due to COVID-19 and customers will continue to favor them post-pandemic. In fact, 63% of customers were motivated to try/use digital apps and tools and 75% will continue to prefer digital apps post-pandemic.
• During COVID-19, many customers increased their use of customer service channels to contact companies about service issues. At the same time, first contact resolution declined from 53% to 42%, increasing effort for customers and costs for businesses.
• Low customer effort drives brand loyalty and reduces cost. However, the number of businesses measuring customer effort is low and has increased only slightly from 25% to 29%.

Click to read the latest insights from our 2023 Customer Service Experience report.