8 Essential Customer Support Statistics (and Key Takeaways) in 2021

# 8 Essential Customer Support Statistics (and Key Takeaways) in 2021 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bx_1I_OCWSM/YULG5-N5JtI/AAAAAAAAAF8/GsD3_ewoMjgrkZeiMKWyTOo7MrrHtusUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s663/8_Essential_Customer_Support_Statistics.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="663" height="384" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bx_1I_OCWSM/YULG5-N5JtI/AAAAAAAAAF8/GsD3_ewoMjgrkZeiMKWyTOo7MrrHtusUwCLcBGAsYHQ/w597-h384/8_Essential_Customer_Support_Statistics.jpg" width="597" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 19pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 16.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Customer support is a pillar of a great customer experience. Companies that can grasp customers’ correct pain points at the correct time (before these pain points become a trend) thrive! The performance of support teams entirely depends on how agile the company is.</div><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 19pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 16.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What does customer support look like in 2021?</h2><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2021 customer expectations are higher than ever. For customer support teams, there’s little room for errors. Companies who’ve invested in the latest tools and strategies are thriving (will thrive), while those who haven’t, need to act quickly to remain competitive.<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Besides, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought an enormous shift into customer service practices. The customer support department of every business felt the effects of rapidly changing customer expectations. Many businesses adapted to newer practices, and some shifted their models entirely.<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In such a scenario, it becomes utterly crucial to know the latest trends and customer expectations. And what can better represent customer expectations and trends than numbers (statistics)! We understand that consistently meeting customer demands can be an arduous task. So, we’ve consolidated a guide to help you keep up with these changes (and then quickly implement them to stay ahead). We’ve also included critical takeaways to help you win over the customer’s heart and mind (and, well, sales.)<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This article will explore the top trends in customer service that are just over the horizon.<h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 19pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 16.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8 Customer Support Trends and Key Takeaways</h2><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following statistics will help you brainstorm new strategies to strengthen your customer support and make your brand more customer-focused.<h3 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 15pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Consumer Expectation</h3><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“<a href="https://c1.sfdcstatic.com/content/dam/web/en_us/www/documents/research/salesforce-state-of-the-connected-customer-4th-ed.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #644fe0; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">63%</a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of consumers expect companies to know their unique needs (and expectations). 76% of B2B buyers also expect the same.”<h4 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Key Takeaway:</h4><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The hefty number of customers expecting companies to know what they want points directly toward a personalized approach.<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the coming years, personalization will take center stage, and companies must focus on serving experiences catering to the user’s specific needs. It can involve a product demo, personalized support, or customized listings. You can do this by following these four steps:<ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #252525; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 33pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Unify your customer data.</li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #252525; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 33pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Segment your customers and keep up with the latest market changes.</li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #252525; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 33pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Analyze your support regularly.</li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #252525; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 33pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Use intelligent customer support software to enhance growth.</li></ul><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t underestimate the power of personalized interactions!<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Talking of personalized experience, how about a personalized demo of customer support software that helps you serve a personalized experience? If you’re serious about providing experiences catering to specific customer requirements, DeskXpand is yours to have!<a href="https://www.deskxpand.com/pricing/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">START YOUR FREE TRIAL</a><h3 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 15pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Customer Retention</h3><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“<a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/news-trends/customer-acquisition-study" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #644fe0; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">93%</a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of customers are likely to make buy again from companies that offer excellent customer support.”<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the other hand:<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Around <a href="https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/pdf/cxtrends/cx-trends-2020-full-report.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #644fe0; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">50%</a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of customers say they would switch to a new brand after one bad experience.”<h4 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Key Takeaway:</h4><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is much easier to retain a customer than to acquire a new customer. Retaining customers is more cost-effective too. But, even slight mismanagement in the support can cost you a customer. You’ve to find out what your customers want.<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some customers do not want to wait on long phone calls to report their problems. Sometimes, all they want is a guide to solve the problem themselves. And if they have to contact you, they’d like to do it more simply. Besides, when they contact you, they’d expect you to know everything about them and their purchases. Customers also expect a rapid response.<h3 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 15pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Omnichannel Experiences will be Everywhere</h3><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Modern-day customers no longer just desire the ability to communicate with companies how and when it’s most convenient for them — they expect and DEMAND it.”<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“<a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/service/customer-service-stats" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #644fe0; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">60%</a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of customers find long holds and wait times as the most frustrating parts of their support experience.”<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“A Microsoft <a href="https://clouddamcdnprodep.azureedge.net/gdc/gdcPiLLQw/original?ocid=mkto_eml_EM582302A1LA1" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #644fe0; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">survey</a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> states that the effectiveness of chatbots has fallen to 28%. They’re not as effective as they seem. 40% of American consumers rely on other channels to reach out to service teams.”<h4 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Key Takeaway:</h4><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If your customer support is not focusing on omnichannel communication, now is the time to adapt. A true omnichannel service includes delivering a seamless and consistent experience across a variety of channels.<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Customers want to connect with your brand immediately on their preferred channels – whether social media, email or calls (without waiting for long.) Hence, you need to treat all channels equally and prioritize queries rather than on a channel-by-channel basis.<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Companies also need to figure out what channels work best for their customer base rather than randomly following the trends.<h3 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 15pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Self-Service Is An Absolute Must</h3><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Customers prefer knowledge bases over all other self-service channels.”<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“<a href="https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/pdf/cxtrends/cx-trends-2020-full-report.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #644fe0; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">69%</a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of customers try to resolve their issue on their own. On the contrary, less than one-third of companies offer self-service options.”<h4 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Key Takeaway:</h4><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are no ifs and buts when it comes to providing self-service features. An ideal <a href="https://www.deskxpand.com/customer-services-software/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #644fe0; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">customer service software</a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> will help you enhance the self-service experience for your customers.<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Self-service is not just beneficial for your customers but also for your agents. Self-service features cut down a large number of query tickets for certain businesses.<h4 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tl;dr</h4><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Implement a well-structured, comprehensive knowledge base for your customer support. Do it right now!<a href="https://www.deskxpand.com/casestudy/how-jonathan-leveraged-deskxpand-self-help-solution-and-reduced-his-customer-calls-by-35/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #644fe0; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Essential Read: How Jonathan Reduced His Customer Calls by 35%</a><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 19pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 16.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make an Exceptional CX Your Differentiating Factor</h2><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The upcoming years will be the years of possibilities where customers expect a seamless and personalized experience. And businesses that’ll be able to deliver on these expectations will thrive. Is your company ready?<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keeping the above trends and the future of customer support in mind, we’ve come up with DeskXpand <a href="https://www.deskxpand.com/customer-services-software/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #644fe0; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">customer support software</a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. It caters to all the specific needs that posterity calls for. So, if you’re curious to know just how much customer service software can benefit you, check out DeskXpand. Our experts at DeskXpand can give you a personalized breakdown of how your customer support can be more efficient by answering just a few questions.<h3 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 2.04545; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: -19pt 0pt 8pt 0pt; text-align: justify;">The Article is Originally Published On:</h3><a href="https://www.deskxpand.com/blog/customer-support-statistics-2021/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.deskxpand.com/blog/customer-support-statistics-2021/</a><div> </div>