Remote work became prevalent in call centers: In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote work in call centers. According to a survey by ContactBabel, 67% of UK contact centers had agents working remotely in 2021, compared to just 4% in 2019.  (Source:  ContactBabel UK Contact Center Decision-Makers' Guide 2021)

Increased investment in cloud-based contact center solutions: The demand for flexible and scalable contact center solutions grew significantly. In 2021, the cloud-based contact center market was valued at $24.11 billion, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.8% from 2021 to 2028.  (Source:  Grand View Research Forecasts, 2021 - 2028).

Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption in call centers increased: AI-powered technologies like chatbots and virtual assistants gained popularity. By 2022, it is estimated that 70% of customer interactions in contact centers will involve emerging technologies such as machine learning applications, chatbots, or mobile messaging. (Source:  Gartner)

The rising importance of omnichannel customer experience: Customers expect seamless experiences across various channels. In 2021, 87% of organizations agreed that providing a consistent customer experience across all touchpoints is critical to their success.  (Source:  Salesforce)

Call center analytics gained prominence: Companies focused on leveraging data to improve call center performance. By 2022, contact centers using analytics will increase customer retention rates by 5% and increase revenue by 20%. (Source:  Gartner) 

Growth of self-service options: Customers prefer self-service options for simple inquiries. In 2021, 81% of customers attempted to resolve issues on their own before contacting a live representative, up from 53% in 2019.  (Nuance)

Personalization became crucial: Customers expect personalized experiences from call centers. In 2021, 80% of customers were more likely to make a purchase when brands offered personalized experiences. (Source:  Epsilon)

Increased focus on employee well-being and satisfaction: The well-being of call center employees became a priority. In 2021, 72% of contact center leaders said they had introduced new employee wellness initiatives due to the pandemic. (Source:  NICE)

When it comes to responding to customer satisfaction surveys, 85% of customers surveyed said that they are likely to provide feedback if they’ve had a good experience, while 81% indicated that they would provide it if they’ve had a bad experience. Contrarily, only 48% of those customers that had what they referred to as a “normal experience” would provide feedback. (Source:  SurveyMonkey)

59% of global consumers felt that companies had lost touch with the human element of customer experience. (PWC)

69% of consumers expect an organization to prioritize their problem if they are upset. (Source:  Kustomer​)

50% of consumers have been given contradictory and/or incorrect information when contacting customer service.  (Source:  Kustomer​)

Consumers aged 18-24 report that customer service is the #1 attribute they consider when choosing where to do business.  (Source:  Kustomer​)

Emotionally connected customers are 25-100% more valuable than “highly satisfied” customers (Source:  HBR)

74% of customers with positive emotions will advocate, while 63% will be retained. (Source: Customer Think)

Only 8% of customers with negative emotions will advocate for your company and only 13% will be retained. (Source: Customer Think)

32% of users who contact a brand on social media expect a response within 30 minutes, and 42% expect a response within 60 minutes. (Source: Forrester)

Customers complain when agents don’t make an effort to empathize with their situation. (Source: TransCosmos)

Scripted phrases such as “your call is very important to us” drive customers crazy. (Source: American Express)

37% of respondents mention “being passed around” as a primary complaint. Customers want to deal with a single agent from the beginning of their interaction until the end. (Source: UK Mirror)

Customers resent having to move through different social media channels attempting to get a response. They prefer companies that offer omnichannel customer service. (Source: eGain)

65% of online customers prefer a casual tone, but it’s more important for the agent to use a tone that’s appropriate to the situation. (Source: Software Advice)

When things go wrong, customers expect an apology. Receiving one tends to double their level of satisfaction. (Source: Carey School of Business)

Customers hate having to explain their problem or enter their personal details with multiple agents or on multiple channels. (Source: TransCosmos)

No compensation: When things go wrong most customers expect compensation, whether that’s a discount or something else. (Source: Carey School of Business)

Lack of personalization: Customers demand personalized service, and that means everything from knowing their name to knowing about their past interactions with the company. (Source: TransCosmos)

Nearly 50% of customers say they will stop doing business with a brand that frustrates them. Meanwhile, only 32% of those customers will contact the company to complain before taking their business elsewhere.

63% of organizations are planning to invest in the expansion of their training programs.  (Source:  Deloitte)

66% of respondents recognize that accuracy and quality of information as the most important customer experience attribute for future interactions within contact centers, followed by ease of interaction at 62%.  (Source:  Deloitte)

More than 80% of respondents state that improving the customer's experience is the most important strategic objective and driver of investment for contact centers.  (Source:  Deloitte)

31% of organizations expect to be using video chat in 2 years for an average of 8% of their interactions.  (Source:  Deloitte)

35% of inquiries that begin through other channels eventually escalate to voice.​​ (Source:  Aberdeen Group)

85% of companies that do customer journey mapping said it was delivering a positive impact (36% extremely positive).  71% said the process led to an increase in satisfaction levels.  29% of businesses perform customer journey mapping exercises on an annual basis.  (Source:  Customer Journey Mapping Research Report, MyCustomer)

A 2% increase in customer retention has the same effect as decreasing costs by 10%. (Source:  Leading on the Edge of Chaos, Emmet Murphy and Mark Murphy )

77% of people say that valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do to provide them with good service. (Source:  Forrester Research)

76% of consumers say they view customer service as the true test of how much a company values them. (Source:  Aspect Consumer Experience Survey