15 Statistics & Predictions to Help Develop Your 20/20 Customer Service Vision

The saying goes that “hindsight is 20/20,” but a little insight never hurt anyone either in developing and improving their current and future vision. When it comes to customer service and what brands and organizations should be focusing on today and in the near future, here are some statistics and predictions that should help to make that focus, and your brand or organization’s 2020 customer service vision, more crystal clear:

1. This year, there will be more people accessing the web using a mobile device than a wireless computer ~ IDC.

2. This year, the Forrester North American Consumer Technographics Customer Life Cycle Survey notes respondents are now using the self-service FAQ pages on a company’s website more often than speaking with a live agent on the phone. According to the survey, self-service channel usage has increased from 67% in 2012 to 76% in 2014, while phone usage remains the same at 73%.

3. Gartner estimates that by the end of 2016, at least 80% of organizations that fail to plan their self-service implementations will incur higher customer service costs and will not achieve the savings and benefits expected. ~ Gartner Research, Why You Need to Rethink Your Customer Self-Service Strategy

4. 81.2% of contact centers believe their current knowledge management systems won’t meet their future needs. ~ 2014 Dimension Data Global Contact Center Benchmarking Report

5. By 2017, 87% of the worldwide smart connected device market will be tablets and smartphone, with PCs (both desktop and laptop) being just 13%. ~ IDC

6. By 2017, two-thirds of all customer service interactions will no longer require the support of a human intermediary (in 2014, comparatively, this was 55%). ~ Gartner Research, Why You Need to Rethink Your Customer Self-Service Strategy

7. By 2018, the rapid creation and retrieval of relevant content (KM) will be a key attribute of leading enterprises. ~ Gartner Research, Knowledge Management will Transform CRM Customer Service

8. Through 2018, the lack of in-line contextual knowledge or support in mobile applications will lower customer satisfaction by 5%, undermining the enterprise’s mobile strategy. ~ Gartner Research, Knowledge Management will Transform CRM Customer Service

9. By 2018, mobile devices will be rich interfaces for highly customized service experiences based on who the user is, what their current situation is as measured by a variety of sensors, where the consumer is located, and what the service provider knows about both the user and the overall situation. ~ Forrester, The Top Emerging Technologies To Watch: Now Through 2018

10. By 2018, 50% of agent interactions will be influenced by real-time analytics.~ Gartner Predicts 2015: Weak Mobile Customer Service Is Harming Customer Engagement

11. By 2018, 5% of customer service cases will be initiated by Internet-connected devices. ~ Gartner Predicts 2015: Weak Mobile Customer Service Is Harming Customer Engagement

12. There will be 25 billion connected things (network or internet-enabled devices) – or three for every person on the planet – by the end of 2020. ~ Gartner Predicts 2015: Weak Mobile Customer Service Is Harming Customer Engagement

13. By 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator. ~ Customers 2020 Report

14. By 2020, the need for a unified consumer omni-channel experience will be complicated by the need for nearly perfect execution. However, expert use of business intelligence tools, coupled with a profound understanding of shoppers‘ needs and experiences in real time, may make omni-channel a realistic goal. ~ PwC Retailing 2020: Winning in a Polarized World

15. The customer of 2020 will be more informed and in charge of the experience they receive. They will expect companies to know their individual needs and personalize the experience. Immediate resolution will not be fast enough as customers will expect companies to proactively address their current and future needs. ~ Customers 2020 Report
Is your brand or organization focusing on and investing in its 2020 customer service vision?

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5 Customer Service Trends to Watch

In a new eBook, Parature, from Microsoft has asked customer service focused analysts and thought leaders including ThinkJar’s Esteban Kolsky, Intium LLC/Innovantage’s Brian Vellmure, The Service Council’s Sumair Dutta, Beyond Philosophy’s Colin Shaw and Parature Co-founder Duke Chung for insights on trends to pursue that will have a significant impact across customer service efforts, and industries, now and moving forward. Interested in seeing what they had to say and getting statistics and best practices around each?