{"id":25999,"date":"2021-06-08T09:00:30","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T08:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/blog\/?p=25999"},"modified":"2024-07-12T17:29:57","modified_gmt":"2024-07-12T16:29:57","slug":"forrester-research-conversational-support-make-or-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intercom.com\/blog\/forrester-research-conversational-support-make-or-break\/","title":{"rendered":"Conversational support isn\u2019t just a nice-to-have \u2013 it\u2019s make or break"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not too long ago, customer support was viewed as a <\/span>cost center, not a value driver<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was seen as a necessary part of a business, but not something that drove revenue or influenced customers\u2019 buying decisions.<\/p>\n

That time is over. Study after study shows how important a great customer experience is to today\u2019s consumers. According to one Microsoft Global State of Customer Service report<\/a>, 90% of consumers surveyed said that customer service is an important factor in their choice of, and loyalty to, a brand, while nearly two-thirds (58%) would sever their relationship with a business due to poor customer service. Another survey<\/a> reveals that 84% of businesses report an uplift in revenue as one of the primary benefits of improving their customer experience.<\/p>\n

And while this increased emphasis on customer experience and support has been underway for some time now, it has been massively accelerated by this past year. The pandemic has transformed the way we do business<\/a> and build relationships with customers \u2013 highlighting the need for digital-first solutions and personalized, conversational messaging. As a result, great customer support has gone from a nice-to-have to a must-have \u2013 and investing in customer support is now critical to customer retention and business resiliency.<\/p>\n

To respond to this new customer support landscape, many forward-thinking, customer-centric businesses have already made the leap to conversational support<\/a>. Conversational support is the modern way to provide efficient, personal support at scale via messaging-based, context-rich interactions. It helps you to build longer-lasting relationships with your customers, while simultaneously empowering your support team to balance great customer experience with efficiency<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We commissioned Forrester Consulting<\/a>, an independent research firm, to learn more about how conversational support is changing the industry. They surveyed over 500 global customer support decision-makers to explore how conversational experiences are fuelling customer retention and business growth for major companies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What became clear over the course of this research is that conversational support isn\u2019t the \u201cfuture of support\u201d \u2013 it\u2019s the present. And with 71% of support leaders saying that scaling conversational support is necessary in order to stay competitive or become an industry leader, making the switch has never been more urgent.<\/p>\n

This is the final post in our series exploring the findings from Drive Conversational Experiences for a Future-Ready Customer Support Strategy<\/a><\/em>, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Intercom in April 2021. You can read the other posts in this series here<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here\u2019s why businesses are turning to conversational support, and how you can start leveraging it to become an industry leader.<\/p>\n

Conversational support is the new normal<\/h2>\n

According to Forrester\u2019s research, half of all customer support leaders either already provide conversational support or will invest in providing it over the next year.<\/p>\n

\"50%<\/p>\n

We already know that customer expectations are higher than ever<\/a>. Forrester\u2019s study shows that support leaders are confident that conversational support allows them to address customers\u2019 demand for fast, efficient, personalized support in a scalable way.<\/p>\n

\u201cConversations are what make us human. They drive connection, they create empathy, and they increase impact through setting a context.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That\u2019s because conversational support leverages automation and bots so that teams can focus on what really matters: building long-lasting relationships with customers.<\/p>\n

\u201cConversations are what make us human,\u201d says Valentina Th\u00f6rner, Head of Product at Klaus<\/a>. \u201cThey drive connection, they create empathy, and they increase impact through setting a context. As a result, conversational support creates a more meaningful interaction with customers. It connects us to the customer long after the conversation has been closed out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\u201cConversational<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019re not providing that kind of above-and-beyond support? There\u2019s a 50% chance that your competitors are.<\/p>\n

The concrete benefits of conversational support are clear<\/h2>\n

According to Forrester\u2019s research, conversational support has led to some pretty incredible results. The top and most impactful benefits support leaders have reported from scaling conversational support across their organization are:<\/p>\n