SAN FRANCISCO, April 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gladly, the company that makes customer service Radically Personal, today released its 2020 Customer Expectations Report, which surveys what consumers expect from the brands they love. Now in its fourth year, the Customer Expectations Report uncovers how American consumers value personalized customer service, engage with support channels, and make purchasing decisions fueled by positive experiences.
The survey reveals three major trends: consumers want to be known by the brands they love; they expect customer service to bring personalization; and they reward the companies that provide a great experience. Survey highlights include:
- 79% of survey respondents say personalized service is more important to them than personalized marketing.
- 86% of consumers expect conversations with agents to seamlessly move between channels.
- 84% go out of their way to spend more money with brands that deliver personalized customer service experiences.
The data shows that consumers expect and value personalized customer service experiences — no matter their history with the brand or which channel they reach out on. When brands deliver on these great experiences, the vast majority of consumers will spend more money with the brand.
“These are uncertain times for both consumers and brands,” said Gladly CEO Joseph Ansanelli. “Now more than ever, Radically Personal customer service gives consumers what they want most — connection, speed, and confidence in their purchase. It’s at the heart of how brands and consumers develop lifelong relationships.”
Additional key findings from the report include:
- Customer service impacts the connection between consumer and brand. 64% of people feel more like a ticket number than a person when engaging with a customer service representative, and 51% will switch brands after one or two bad experiences.
- Digital customer service channels are on the rise for Millennials. Usage of Twitter has increased by 16%, Facebook by 10%, and SMS by 4% since 2019.
- Today’s consumers value empowered problem solvers. 77% recommend a brand to friends and family if they provide a more personalized experience, and more than half would recommend the company on social media or review sites. On the other hand, 51% of people will switch brands after 1 or 2 bad experiences.
“There is an old saying that people want to do business with the people and companies they know, like, and trust,” said Shep Hyken, customer service industry expert and Forbes columnist. “Building that trust is hard — and can only come from consistent and predictable experiences. When they trust they will get the same positive experience every time they do business with you, regardless of the channel (human or digital), you are on your way to not just managing their expectations, but exceeding them.”
On behalf of Gladly, Zogby Analytics conducted a nationwide online survey, fielded January 2020. Thousands of U.S. adults were invited to participate in the interactive survey, yielding 1,500 total respondents. To download the report, visit Gladly’s website.
About Gladly
Gladly is the only platform making customer service Radically Personal by allowing agents to communicate with customers seamlessly across channels. Gladly centers customer service around the person, not a case or ticket number, giving agents full visibility of customers in a single view. With Gladly, the world’s most innovative consumer companies like JetBlue, JOANN, and TUMI develop lifelong customer relationships, not one-off experiences. Based in San Francisco, Gladly was founded in 2014 and is privately backed by industry leaders including Greylock, GGV Capital, NEA, and JetBlue Ventures.
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