Enterprise messaging platform Intercom has released the results of a study carried out in partnership with Forrester Consulting.
The study surveyed over 500 customer support leaders worldwide on the changes they have seen in providing support and the ways in which they are future proofing their strategies.
Increasing Preference for Conversational Messaging
One of its key discoveries was that messenger-based support had risen from the fifth most used support channel prior to the pandemic to the second most used, overtaking phone and in-person support options. 50% of those surveyed either already provide conversational support or are investing in the technology over the next year, with retention, efficiency and customer satisfaction highlighted as the key benefits.
"Customers demand easy, effective service that values their time and provides them with personal experiences that are in context of their actions. They increasingly use self-service and digital channels to interact with companies as these channels meet their expectations," said Kate Leggett, Vice President, Principal Analyst, Forrester. "If companies deliver experiences in line with customer expectations, customers will keep their business with them, buy more from them, and serve as company advocates."
The rise in demand for these new approaches was in part attributed to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on digital transformation, with some of the changes wrought on customer support expected to remain. 55% said, for instance, that the pandemic increased customer preferences for interacting over digital channels. Meanwhile, 58% said customers would prefer messenger-based approaches in the future.
Among the study’s other findings were that:
- Only 43% of those surveyed believed their current tech stack could support personalised experiences
- 71% said that scaling conversational support will help them to stay competitive or become an industry leader.
- 69% of support leaders believed personalised experiences are key to building strong customer relationships
"There has been significant growth in how businesses and customers prefer messaging as a support channel. This makes conversational support, support delivered through messengers, an essential offering for every business," said Des Traynor, Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder at Intercom. "Customers clearly expect conversational experiences now, so businesses must meet these rising expectations and offer great customer support that is fast, friendly and personal."
