A new report analyses the gaps between brands’ perceptions of the Customer Experiences they deliver and the reality.
Zendesk Inc has revealed insights from more than 9,000 small and midsize companies, and while results indicate differences in their ability to meet the growing expectations of customers, one discovery is consistent: fast-growing companies are more likely to take an omnichannel approach, offering a seamless and connected experience for communicating with customers across multiple channels.
Acknowledging the need to provide support over the same channels customers use to communicate with family and friends, more than two-thirds of CX leaders at both small and midsize businesses say they evaluate success based on providing multiple ways to contact customer service.
However, less than 35 percent are truly omnichannel, highlighting that many companies are failing to deliver on the Customer Experience they know is important. In fact, the midsize companies outpacing their peers in growth are nearly 60 percent more likely to take an omnichannel approach to customer service, while growth leaders in the SMB group are 41 percent more likely to be omnichannel.
Ted Smith, head of market insights at Zendesk, said: “Customers don’t think about a company’s size when they’re interacting with support. They expect to be able to reach out on the channel of their choice, and to get their issues resolved efficiently. This expectation applies to all businesses, both large and small. The recommendations in these reports can help small and midsize businesses understand what their fastest growing and most successful peers are doing to deliver the kind of Customer Experience every customer wants.”