The latest Zendesk report found the majority of businesses agree that there is a direct link between customer service and business performance.

Around 73% of businesses see a direct link between customer service and business performance. Two-thirds of businesses also think that customer service has a positive impact on business growth. But, only 54% of companies report having a three-year strategic plan for customer service. Moreover, more than half of customers also feel customer service is an afterthought for businesses – indicating a gap between consumer expectations and company actions.

The survey of more than 97,500 respondents also revealed that 61% of customers have increased expectations from brands in terms of customer service today. About 90% of them are also willing to spend more on companies that personalise their customer service experiences.

Similarly, 89% of respondents also said they would spend more on companies that offer them a chance to find answers they need, themselves. This indicates that businesses would have to focus on using customer service to upsell or cross-sell to consumers and deepen customer relationships.

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