22 Customer Experience Stats for 2022

As the pandemic persists and consumer behaviors change to compensate, customer support and experience will continue to evolve and present interesting challenges and opportunities for brands and organizations. For 2022 we’ve curated 22 statistics that showcase support trends, how customer experience (CX) is evolving, what consumers want and the role technology can play. Read on.
 

SUPPORT BY THE NUMBERS

• Companies are still averaging a 14% volume increase in call centers
• Overall customer satisfaction is up ~2% across most channels over 2020, despite increased demand and challenges

Small businesses do better:

• 48% of global consumers said small business got better at customer service
• 71% of consumers said customer service at large businesses stayed the same or got worse

Top challenge and goal:

• 45% of companies are experiencing skills/labor shortages, according to our 2022 trends survey, which is unsurprising given the ongoing Great Resignation
• At 38%, improving service levels is the top goal for contact centers going into 2022

WHAT CONSUMERS WANT

It’s the ultimate question: what do customers want? In a complex global marketplace, companies are competing not only for that first sale, but also the opportunity to engage in a loyal, ongoing relationship with consumers. Here are some insights to help:

• 50% of U.S. consumers say that COVID-19 has increased their prioritization of customer service as a factor when deciding to do business with a brand
• 80% of consumers feel more emotionally connected to a brand when customer service solves their problem
• 30% of customers are willing to pay more for excellent service, a 6% increase over 2019

Consumers value empathy and quick resolutions:

• +42% increase in valuing helpful, empathetic agents and a +20% increase in valuing quick resolutions in 2021 over 2020

Live phone support still ranks #1 in support options, but other channels are making gains:

• Customers who prefer phone call: 69%; email: 54%; online chat: 46%

SUSTAINABILITY AND SUPPORT

Consumers’ interest in sustainability in purchases and behaviors continues to grow. Brands and manufacturers can respond in many ways, but customer support is one key area where companies can embrace Right to Repair and the latest technology to help create more sustainable operations and solutions.

• 94% of consumers feel that promoting environmental sustainability is a moderately to very important issue
• 77% of respondents said a brand’s reputation as a climate or environmental sustainability leader affects their likelihood of purchasing its products
• 30% of consumers would stop using a product/brand if they found it didn’t use sustainable/ethical practices
• 75% of consumers agreed that manufacturers should allow consumers to repair their electronics to keep them in use as long as possible and to help mitigate growing levels of e-waste
• 80% of consumers would attempt a DIY repair of an electronic device or household appliance if they had easy access to replacement parts and instructions
• 46% of consumers would be more likely to attempt DIY repairs if brands provided support in the process—for example, by connecting with an expert using “see what I see” technology to guide them through repair steps

TECHNOLOGY AND LOYALTY

As with most modern challenges, the right technologies can ease support sticking points. Broadening omnichannel support, meeting your customers where they are and offering immersive technology like augmented reality (AR) can improve customer satisfaction, create new interactions with customers, reduce no fault found incidents and save costs for both companies and consumers.

• 94% of consumers expect customer support to become more technologically advanced
• 61% of companies are increasing their investment in support, especially around omnichannel
• 95% of enterprise tech execs said AR solutions will help their organizations better keep up with rising customer expectations

Digital CX improves customer loyalty lifetime value:

• 30% of companies offering digital experiences see improvements in customer lifetime value
• 23% see increase in basket/shopping cart size

Looking for more insights? Download your copy of our BPO and Customer Care Dynamics report to see where your peers are investing in trends and technology to improve CX and efficiencies!