{"id":70210,"date":"2024-04-23T13:22:58","date_gmt":"2024-04-23T12:22:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=70210"},"modified":"2024-04-23T16:13:15","modified_gmt":"2024-04-23T15:13:15","slug":"customer-service-statistics-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/uk\/news\/stories\/customer-service-statistics-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Salesforce Report: UK Teams Tap AI and Data to Drive Revenue as Service Expectations Rise"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Editor\u2019s note: Visualisations included throughout this article are set to global responses to the State of Service report by default. UK responses are available via filter<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both service and field service organisations are increasing their investment in AI to meet rising customer expectations and unlock revenue-generating opportunities, according to new research from Salesforce\u2019s sixth State of Service<\/em> report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gathering insights from over 5,500 service professionals in 30 countries, including 300 in the UK, the State of Service<\/em> report highlights the priorities, challenges, and strategies shaping customer service in the AI era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cService and field service teams are getting more proactive and productive with the power of data and AI,\u201d said Kishan Chetan, EVP and General Manager of Service Cloud<\/a>. \u201cThey\u2019re deflecting more issues with smarter self-service. And they\u2019re devoting more time and energy to generating revenue \u2014 pointing to a fundamental shift in their role within the business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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They\u2019re deflecting more issues with smarter self-service. And they\u2019re devoting more time and energy to generating revenue \u2014 pointing to a fundamental shift in their role within the business.<\/p>\nKishan Chetan, EVP and General Manager of Service Cloud<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Service organisations double down on revenue generation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The trend of viewing service as a revenue driver<\/a> instead of a cost center is accelerating.\u00a0 Globally, eighty-five percent of service decision makers now say their teams are expected to contribute a larger slice of revenue over the coming year through upselling, cross-selling, and customer retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the UK, the strategic emphasis on revenue generation is fueling bigger budgets and larger teams. Seventy-three percent of UK decision makers expect budgets to grow over the next year. Meanwhile, just over two-thirds (68%) of UK decision makers anticipate expanding their headcount.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Agents and mobile workers face mounting pressure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With 88% of customers wordwide saying<\/a> good service makes them more likely to purchase from the same company again, it\u2019s clear that customer experience is key to driving revenue. However, delivering on expectations isn’t as simple as in years past. Ninety percent of UK service professionals say customer expectations are getting higher.<\/p>\n\n\n

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On top of increasingly sophisticated demands from customers, 72% of UK service organisations anticipate higher case volumes in the year ahead. The risk of burnout or failure in this scenario is a major factor for agents, who are already stretched thin.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organisations lean into AI, automation, and data to boost efficiency, sales<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

AI and automation may present solutions for over-burdened agents tasked with revenue generation. Currently, UK agents spend just 43% of their time servicing customers amid competing demands like internal meetings, administrative tasks, and manually logging case notes.<\/p>\n\n\n

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88% of UK service professionals at organisations with AI say the technology saves them time<\/a>. By responding to simple queries and crafting self-help knowledge articles<\/a>, AI clears the way for human agents to focus on more fulfilling and higher value work, such as building customer relationships and resolving complex cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Service organisations also report using AI to directly help with revenue generation by providing intelligent recommendations and offers to agents.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Savvy service organisations are taking note of the promise AI and another efficiency driver, automation can bring. Currently, 62% of UK organisations have invested in AI. Seventy-eight percent of UK decision makers plan to increase their AI investments over the next year, with the same amount planning to boost automation investments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n