13 Statistics Proving Positive Agent Experiences Improve Customer Service

Delivering great customer service hinges on empowering contact centre agents. Here are 13 stats showing this connection and how technology enables agent success:

1. 33% of customers will stop doing business after one bad experience, showing the impact of poor service.
2. 95% of customers require good service for loyalty, not just products or prices.
3. 60% would leave a company after unfriendly service, favouring a positive approach.
4. 88% of contact centres prioritise customer experience as it drives revenue and growth.
5. Investment in agent tools increased 62%, easing their work.
6. 70% of agents want autonomy to resolve issues, increasing first-contact resolution.
7. 80% of customers would pay more for efficient service enabled by agent tech.
8. Engaged agents are 6 times more productive and 8% more effective when utilising strengths.
9. 46% of customers doubt uninformed agents, valuing competence.
10. 73% factor service into purchase choices, influenced by agent interactions.
11. 65% find service better than ads in driving decisions, through personalised care.
12. 49% make impulse purchases after great service.
13. Engaged agents are 15% less likely to leave, building expertise.

33% of customers abandon brands after one bad experience

Context can help avoid or reduce abandonment. A repeat customer forced to reexplain an unresolved billing issue demonstrates a lack of system integration. By implementing cloud-based systems like screen pops that instantly display full customer profiles when contacts occur, agents have immediate access to purchase history, communications, and biographical details to reference. This empowers personalised, seamless interactions from the outset, resolving open cases faster and reducing frustration.

95% rank great service over products for loyalty

A customer calls to enquire about an out-of-stock item. The agent goes above and beyond to have that product shipped to a local store and creates a memorable and pleasant experience, building an emotional connection beyond just completing the transaction. This customer will likely remember the extraordinary service over what product they received, fostering lasting brand loyalty.

Achieving this relies on agents having comprehensive visibility into inventory, logistics and customer history via integrated systems and screen pops—not switching between multiple applications. Technology integration provides comprehensive visibility enabling extraordinary service.

60% would leave after poor service

Thoughtless remarks erode trust, and long waiting times for simple requests, like checking order status or resetting passwords, cause unnecessary frustration. An integrated callback option empowers agents to pause unreasonable customers rather than reacting defensively, and then continue once tensions cool to reset the relationship. And IVR automated menus can quickly assist customers with their easier, common requests which reserves agents for complex inquiries where conversational human problem-solving provides greater satisfaction.

88% prioritise customer experience

System fragmentation across channels frustrates customers and impacts revenue. Omni-channel platforms consolidate data silos into unified views across communication channels for consistent, omnichannel journeys. This single pane of glass empowers agents to reference interactions from other channels, avoiding repetition. Ensuring context flows across communication touchpoints avoids repetition, demonstrating deep understanding of the customer through data unified in one place.

Investment in agent software rose 62%

Organisations who value customer experience and understand the competitive advantage great customer experience bring, are investing more in agent software, showing the value of empowerment. Consolidated desktops present relevant information upfront so agents can focus on assessing needs rather than searching histories and asking repetitive questions.

70% want more autonomy in resolving customer issues

First contact resolution can be improved with knowledge bases and communities sharing best practices. The collective wisdom of past experience means agents spend less time escalating and more time-solving.

80% would pay more for efficient experiences

A speedy resolution is highly valued. When a repeat customer needs to change a booking but gets stuck in a dizzying IVR tree, and then waits on hold repeating details, frustration mounts. Smart routing and screen pops allow the next agent to seamlessly continue where the last left off without reexplaining, demonstrating a deep understanding of customer needs to enhance satisfaction. Efficient workforce management (WFM) that forecasts demand and then aligns agent staffing to predicted volumes. Smart scheduling reduces customer hold times, backed up by callback functionality.

Engaged agents are 6X more productive

When skills-based routing assigns contacts to those best suited by expertise, this intelligence matches issue type to specialised skillsets, avoiding routing calls randomly or making customers repeat information.

46% doubt uninformed agents

If a customer asks about compatibility for accessories not listed on the website and provides specific product numbers and use cases, they expect in-depth expertise. An agent unable to confidently advise without constantly placing them on hold risks the sale. This can be avoided by empowering access to technical specifications from past cases so agents can gain confidence in providing guidance rather than defaulting to “I don’t know.”

73% factor service into purchase decisions

Agents shape opinions, sharpened through quality management programs that review recorded calls and provide one-on-one coaching on communication approaches, empathy, solution design, and other areas to hone skills.

65% rank service over ads

Thanks to personalised rapport, enabled by post-call surveys, effectively measures satisfaction levels. This metrics identify areas working well while isolating those needing improvement at an individual agent level.

49% impulse buy after good experiences

When agents make them feel valued, revealed by sentiment analysis evaluating recorded calls to classify attitudes and emotions influencing customer spending decisions. This pinpoints strengths and coaching opportunities.

Expert agents are 15% less likely to leave

AI virtual assistants can preserve institutional knowledge to surface relevant knowledge articles or process documentation for difficult issues. This reduces dependence on limited specialists by empowering generalists to handle exceptions.

By implementing the latest AI-enabled CCaaS innovations in training, operations, and analytics, contact centres optimise both agent engagement and customer satisfaction through consistent, personalised, and smooth service journeys. The path to customer loyalty and revenue growth starts with empowering agents to successfully do their jobs.