CX Trends Report 2022

It’s finally time for companies to think about what comes next. And after almost two years of adapting, transforming, and responding to unprecedented change, they’re looking ahead with an eye for growth.

To build a stronger, more successful business in this new environment, leaders need only look to their own customers. Customer service is now a key differentiator between companies, a top consideration for customers, and a profit-generating force in its own right.

Whether you’re a well-established firm or just starting to scale and grow, a successful customer service team can help attract new business, boost retention, and increase sales among your existing customer base.

With so much on the line, customer service teams face increased pressure to deliver—both from customers and company leadership. Impressing customers can help businesses stand out or even kickstart growth, but inefficient workflows and burned-out agents are just a few of the things that can undermine long-term success. To promote a meaningful, institution-wide shift, leaders must get customer service buy-in at every level. And much-needed changes to tools, processes, and mindset, however difficult, must start now.

Why? Research shows that customers are increasingly reluctant to give second chances if their expectations aren’t met.

It’s impossible to overstate the important role that customer service will play in this next chapter. To help companies avoid common pitfalls and realize opportunities to grow the business and the bottom line, we surveyed customers, agents, customer service leaders, and business leaders from 21 countries. We also gathered global data from nearly 97,500 Zendesk customers who participate in our Benchmark program.

METHODOLOGY

How we ran the research

Data in this report comes from three sources: One global survey of 3,500 consumers, one global survey of 4,600 business respondents, and Zendesk Benchmark product usage data from more than 97,500 companies.