One-Third Of Your Customers Will Stop Doing Business With You Because Of This

"If your customers reach out to you for customer support or for problems to be resolved, this is must-have information. In my annual customer experience research, we asked more than 1,000 U.S. consumers if they had ever stopped doing business with a company or brand because self-service options were not provided. Thirty-four percent said yes, which means: Not offering self-service options for customer support could cost you one-third of your customers."

"The majority of all customers (68%) prefer the phone to self-service options. While the phone may be the first choice, it does have its drawbacks. Often, customers experience wait times. While the friendly recorded message may indicate the customer's call "is very important," a long wait time sends a different message. Sometimes customers become frustrated with being transferred, having to repeat their story to multiple customer support agents, language barriers and more."

"Self-service customer support options are available to customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They typically handle simple questions and problems, and in some cases, are interactive, allowing customers to complete simple transactions. Customers using self-service appreciate how quickly they can get answers to questions and get their problems resolved without wait times and the hassle of authentication procedures that customers view as time wasters. Some of these options include: Frequently Asked Questions: This is typically on a website and provides brief answers or articles related to the most common customer inquiries. Video Tutorials: These are often found on a website, and many compan"

Thirty-four percent of U.S. consumers have stopped doing business with a company because self-service options were not provided. Gen-Z customers (43%) are more than twice as likely as Baby Boomers (20%) to leave for this reason. A majority of customers (68%) still prefer phone support, but phone support often creates long wait times, transfers, repeated explanations, and language barriers. Self-service options provide 24/7 access for simple questions and transactions and are valued for speed and avoidance of wait times and authentication hassles. Common self-service options include FAQs and video tutorials.

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