woman smiling looking up

What do people expect from their customer service experiences today?

A recent Emplifi report dives into what people expect from their customer service experiences, and their impact on brand loyalty.

Consumers today want — and expect — instant gratification. They also expect brands to adapt to their preferences, not the other way around. Perhaps no department is more directly impacted by changing consumer expectations than the customer service center.

If customers don’t feel brands rise to the occasion with every interaction, they won’t hesitate to seek greener pastures with a competing brand.

So, what impact does every customer service interaction potentially have on brand loyalty? What other customer expectations should customer service teams be aware of? To answer these questions, Emplifi commissioned Harris Interactive to survey over 1,000 US consumers. The results are highlighted in Emplifi’s report, 7 fascinating facts every customer service team must know today.

Here are just a couple of the key findings we uncovered. For more insights, be sure to download your free copy of the report today!

Over 80% of consumers would abandon a brand after as few as two poor experiences

Consumers today expect speed, convenience, and personalized service; perhaps now more than ever before. Our research confirms that consumers’ tolerance for experiences that are not up to their standards is slim, which means brands have little room for error.

While 15% of consumers said they would leave a brand after a single bad experience, this number spikes to 81% after as few as two poor experiences.

This discovery highlights how crucial it is to understand customers’ needs, expectations, and preferences for their customer care experiences at every stage of the customer journey. Doing so will help you put the best CX strategy in place to ensure customers receive the best support experiences every time they connect with you.

During the purchase process, most brands’ social media customer service isn’t meeting expectations

Social media plays an increasingly important role throughout the customer journey, particularly during the ever-crucial purchasing process. With each experience potentially being make-or-break, brands always need to be ready to quickly and effectively answer any potential questions that arise as customers make their purchase decisions. Unfortunately, most consumers (especially Gen Z) don’t feel that brands today are giving them a level of service they consider to be "excellent."


So, how can brands close this customer experience gap? One way is to ensure that high-priority posts and messages can be automatically flagged and routed to the right team or agents – with full context – so that they can address them quickly and effectively.

The latest news and insights to elevate customer care
Emplifi Summit '22: Make Every Experience Unforgettable
Get inspired by some of the world's top thought leaders across the worlds of marketing, commerce, and customer care.
New Emplifi CX Index helps brands measure social media marketing and social customer care efforts
October 5, 2022 — Benchmark study provides brands with performance metrics across social media channels, industries and regions, to help measure and improve their CX strategy.
[Report] 7 fascinating facts every customer service team must know today
Perhaps no department comes directly face-to-face with customers’ changing expectations than the service center. So, what do consumers actually expect from their customer service experiences today? Get the latest insights to power your CX strategy.
Emplifi newsletter

Sign up for the latest insights and best practices to elevate your social marketing, commerce, and care.