According to a May 2018 survey of US internet users by Helpshift, retail didn't rank among the top three industries for worst customer service. Instead, that "honor" went to the telecom, airline and insurance sectors. Still, retail came in fourth, cited by 17.7% of respondents.
Overall, close to three-fourths of respondents think contacting customer service is a frustrating experience. The leading reason why was long waits and hold times (60.2%). Nearly as many (58.6%) dreaded being transferred and having to re-explain a problem over and over, while 49.9% feared having to navigate a seemingly endless automated menu.
When asked about current and future tech, 62.0% said they liked email and messenger chatbots that collect information and get the right support agent, and 75.9% said chat-based messaging would be a preferred means to contact customer service if they knew they would get an immediate response. Granted, Helpshift is a messaging-based platform invested in texting for customer service.
Still, not everyone was enamored by chatbots. According to the study, 50.7% of respondents said dealing with chatbots prevents them from connecting with a human, while 47.5% said they lead to too many unhelpful responses. Nearly 40% said they redirect to self-serve FAQs.