{"id":1604,"date":"2021-12-22T18:30:33","date_gmt":"2021-12-22T18:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.replicant.ai\/the-10-most-important-contact-center-stats-of-2021\/"},"modified":"2023-05-09T20:55:34","modified_gmt":"2023-05-09T20:55:34","slug":"the-10-most-important-contact-center-stats-of-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.replicant.com\/blog\/the-10-most-important-contact-center-stats-of-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 Most Important Contact Center Stats of 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a year of sweeping changes, it\u2019s never been more important for contact centers to understand how global trends are affecting both customer behaviors and their expectations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Statistics from the last 18 months are rife with signs that point toward further transformation in the contact center industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2021, pandemic-related challenges continued to fuel call volume spikes and customer frustrations. Workforce shortages made it harder than ever for contact centers to hire, train, and retain talent. And emerging technologies like conversational AI have accelerated digitization and changed what consumers expect from automated self-service.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Below are ten of the most telling statistics from 2021, and how they will continue to shape contact center strategies in the coming year.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

76% of customers are calling on the phone when contacting customer service. (Source: CFI Group<\/a>)<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s no secret that channels like chat, SMS, and social media are on the rise as customer service mediums. But voice \u2013\u00a0and the phone channel in particularly \u2013 remains a preferred method of service for customers. Contact centers should prioritize modernizing, personalizing and eliminating hold times on their phone channels to ensure CSAT scores don\u2019t suffer in the most common place service is rendered.<\/p>\n

91% of consumers reported they have experienced poor customer service in the last six months. (Replicant 2021 Contact Center Survey<\/a>)<\/h2>\n

For customers, frustration was at an all time high in 2021. Lengthy hold times, inflexible IVR menus, and poor self-service options were just a few of the reasons customers reported subpar experiences.<\/p>\n

The length of hold time matters when it comes to the emotions of customers. The research shows 44% of people report being annoyed, irritated or angry with a 5 \u2013 15 minute wait time. (Replicant 2021 Contact Center Survey<\/a>)<\/h2>\n

No experience was a bigger contributor to poor customer service scores than hold times. Due in part to staffing issues, and in part to rising customer demands, the public\u2019s tolerance for hold times over 5 minutes waned in 2021.<\/p>\n

56% of consumers cite automated telephone systems as the most frustrating aspect of poor customer service. (Source: Customerthink<\/a>)<\/h2>\n

Contact centers have tried for years to find automation solutions for the phone that don\u2019t sour customer experiences. But the results show that still isn\u2019t happening. If a customer can\u2019t fully resolve their issues in a natural, human-like fashion, they\u2019re likely to be dissatisfied by automation.<\/p>\n

95.7% of contact center professionals view customer satisfaction as the most important call center metric. (Call Centre Helper, 2021<\/a>)<\/h2>\n

That customer satisfaction is the top priority of most contact centers is nothing new. But contact centers are seeing CSAT affect customer loyalty more than ever, and all retention and growth strategies hinge upon delightful customer experiences.<\/p>\n

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Calls rated as \u201cdifficult\u201d by customer service reps increased by 100% during the Covid-19 pandemic. (HBR 2020<\/a>)<\/h2>\n

Repetitive and routine customer requests are often not difficult in nature. However, when they compound over time, agents have less time to focus on the rising volume of complex calls. Automating routine calls allows your most talented agents to focus on what they do best \u2013 find creative and empathetic solutions for difficult problems.<\/p>\n

Benefits of Big Data Analytics in Customer Service (NewVantage; Syncsort; Hosting Tribunal 2021<\/a>)<\/h2>\n