Customer Experience Optimization: 2023-24 Consumer Perspective

Authors: Robin Gareiss, CEO and Principal Analyst; Matt Craig, Chief Data Scientist

Executive Summary:

• Voice calls are still the most common ways in which customers are interacting with customer service, for 78.5%. Email is second, at 68.7%, but phone interactions are by far the fastest and preferred method of contact.
• In general, consumers do not like to use chatbots—and nearly 40% actively avoid them. Frustration stemming from finding the answers needed is by far the biggest reason for avoiding chatbots.
• Age plays a significant role in preference and experiences in interactions. In many cases, there is a stark difference between those who are younger and older than 45 years old. For example, younger folks are less likely to call for an appointment than those who are older than 45 (31% vs 52%) or to address a problem with a product/service (41% vs 60%). They are much more likely to prefer text/webchat in both instances compared to their older counterparts.
• Personal reactions, such as telling friends and family, are popular responses to having a bad experience. Older individuals are more likely to engage with a company directly, by talking to a supervisor or emailing customer support. Younger individuals are more likely to take a more passive approach, like posting on social media and leaving negative reviews online.
• Only 13% never give feedback, with those 45 and younger being much less likely to never do so compared to those who are older (18% vs 9%). Those who have higher incomes ($75K+) are more likely to give regular feedback compared to those who earn less than $75K—31% vs 21%.
• Those who are more sporadic in giving feedback are more likely to do it when there is a poor experience than those who regularly give feedback.
• Just shy of one-third have no trust whatsoever in AI. There is a significant change by age group, where 43% of those 45 or older don’t trust it compared to 18% of those younger than 45.