15 Actionable Customer Service Statistics You Should Know in 2023

You probably have preconceived notions when it comes to customer service. But have you ever stopped and looked at what the actual customer service statistics are telling you about how to better support your customers?
Do you know the real metrics that delight your customers and turn them into loyal promoters of your business? Or that more and more customers want the tools to help themselves rather than relying on phone support for help?
To help you stop guessing and start knowing, we tried to collect the most relevant customer service statistics that you need to know. And because we know accuracy is important, we made sure to provide a direct link for each source so that you can judge the veracity for yourself.
9 General Customer Service Statistics to Shape Your Strategy
The following customer service statistics deal with customer service as a cohesive experience, illustrating the importance of customer service on your business’ bottom line and how can you better support your customers.
While there are some general customer service statistics, we tried to bias the list towards stats that are actually actionable.
1. Good Customer Service Really Does Mean Loyal Customers
97% of consumers say that customer service is an important factor in their loyalty to a brand. – Source
While there a number of statistics that illustrate this point, we’ll stop at just one because it’s not an especially contentious topic. That is, we doubt you need us to tell you that customer service is important.
2. Customers Care More About Solved Problems Than Being “Delighted”
Customers care more about solving their problems quickly and easily than they do being “delighted” – Source
One suggested method to accomplish this is not only answering a customer’s current question but also heading off potential future questions connected to their issue.
3. Customers Don’t Want to Be Passed Around or Feel Like They’re Doing All The Work
To emphasize the previous takeaway, give these customer service stats a look. They showcase the frustrating barriers customers experience when trying to get help.
44% of customers think it takes them more effort than the brand they’re getting help from to solve problems. – Source
The two most satisfying aspects of a customer service experience are:
- Not having to repeat themselves or be passed to another agent (39%)
- Having their problem resolved on first contact (24%)
– Source
4. Customers Will Pay More for Better Customer Service
45% of consumers are willing to pay a higher price for goods and services if it results in better customer service. – Source
RightNow found an even higher number in their survey, with 86% of consumers saying they’d pay more for better customer service. – Source
5. B2B Customers Value Customer Service Even More
62% of B2B customers “purchased more after a good customer service experience”, compared to 42% of B2C consumers. – Source
6. Customers Value Speed Over Thoroughness
33% of those surveyed say they’d recommend a brand that offered a “quick but ineffective response” compared to only 17% who said the same for a “slow but effective solution” – Source
Note – This survey dealt specifically with social media customer service.
7. Good Customer Service Gets You More Customers
55% of those surveyed “became a customer of a company because of [the company’s] reputation for great customer service” – Source
8. Customers Share Bad Experiences Wider and More Often Than Good Experiences
54% of respondents shared bad experiences with more than 5 people, while only 33% shared good experiences with more than 5 people. – Source
9. Customers Want a Response Within 24 Hours
67% of consumers want a response to their customer service questions within 24 hours. – Source
6 Statistics About Using a Knowledge Base for Customer Support
The following customer service stats deal specifically with creating a high-quality knowledge base or other self-service solution to help your customers quickly find answers to their problems.
10. Your Customers Don’t Want to Call You
Phone use for customer service has been decreasing over the past six years, with customers opting to handle support via self-service more and more. – Source
11. Knowledge Base and FAQ Use is Rapidly Increasing
In 2012, 67% of US adults used a FAQ or knowledge base on a company’s website. As of 2015, that number increased to 81%. –Source
12. Most Customers Want to Help Themselves
53% of survey respondents thought “it is important for them to resolve their own product / service problems rather than rely on customer service representatives”
That number grew to 60% for those aged between 18 and 34. – Source
13. Yes, Your Customers Are Willing to Use a Knowledge Base
91% of those surveyed would “use a single, online knowledge base if it were available and tailored to their needs.” – Source
14. While Customers Are Willing, Most Companies Aren’t Creating Truly Helpful Knowledge Bases
Only 37% of those surveyed “try to use self-service options” because those options are perceived as “inaccurate or incomplete” – Source
15. Customers Love Easy Access to Information
55% of consumers fall in love with a brand when that brand offers “easy access to information and support” – Source (Slide 5)
Use These Customer Service Statistics To Improve Your Processes
Customer service is non-negotiable. You need to support your customers if you want to be successful. Because customer service is a non-negotiable business expense, you need to look for ways to deliver the best customer service possible without wasting time and money.
Using these customer service statistics can help you become more analytical in your customer service approach. For example, self-service options like a knowledge base or FAQ not only save you human support time, they’re also backed by real data.
And finally, remember that the key to quality customer support isn’t dishing out lavish discounts to “delight customers,” it’s solving their problems as quickly as possible with as little friction as possible.