Gmail-based helpdesk solution Hiver has released a new report into the ways in which consumers communicate with brands.
The Customer Service Benchmark Report found that up to 75% of customer service teams deliver support outside of regular business hours - while 34% offer 24/7 support.
Other findings included the fact that 60% of customer service teams provide support across three or more channels. Phone is the most used channel, with 83% supporting it, followed by email at 77%.
Based on a survey of over 500 US-based support professionals, the stated aim of the report was to uncover trends in customer service performance and delivery. Hiver said that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has transformed consumer/brand communications, with customers expecting companies to be available whenever and however they desire.
Among the other highlights were the fact that:
- 44% of those surveyed said that phone is their busiest support channel, followed by email at 23% and chat at 10%
- More than 60% of teams have a First Response Time of under 3 hours for email queries
- Almost 50% of teams have an SLA policy to resolve customer requests under 6 hours
"The results of the benchmarking report are both impressive and surprising. While a lot of companies are going the extra mile to deliver multi-channel and fast support, many still have a long way to go when it comes to exceeding customer expectations,” said Niraj Ranjan Rout, CEO, and Co-founder of Hiver.