How customer service strategies in Canada are adapting to growing demands
    How customer service strategies in Canada are adapting to growing demands
    News

    CANADA, July 2024

    How customer service strategies in Canada are adapting to growing demands

    15 July 2024

    Capterra’s latest study reveals how companies across Canada are meeting the growing demand for customer service through investments in more staff, as well as software and artificial intelligence (AI) support options.

    Over half (54%) of Canadian businesses report increases in customer service satisfaction scores over the past two years, despite the low investment in customer service software solutions. However, half of respondents are already using AI in their customer service operations, which is impacting both customers and employees positively.

    Traditional customer service tech still rules, with email and phone as the most popular support channels

    Over 80% of those polled said their company offers phone or email support, while large proportions also provide help via live chat (49%), social media (47%), and SMS (46%). 82% of companies offer live phone support, but only 51% use call center software. Despite the added efficiency, just 35% of those who don’t already use it have formal plans for an investment.
    Customer satisfaction is a key performance indicator for customer service teams, with 95% tracking it. A crucial determining factor for customer satisfaction is speed, and 89% of respondents report that customers are able to speak to a representative on the phone or via live chat within 10 minutes. In fact, 54% of respondents cite an improvement in customer satisfaction compared to two years ago.
    42% of senior staff surveyed report that their company has plans to hire more customer service staff in order to keep up with growing demand. Beyond increasing headcount, companies are also looking to AI to offer solutions to problems like speed and cost, as 64% of respondents believe AI can reduce response times, and 60% believe it can save money. In fact, 68% of those whose company uses AI-powered customer service software customer service representatives have reported an increase in productivity levels, among other benefits:
    2-AI-in-customer-service-software-CA-CA-stacked-bar-chart.jpg
    In certain areas, representatives believe that AI agents can outperform humans, for example in multiple language conversations (58%), analyzing data and generating insights (55%), routine tasks (46%) and avoiding biases (45%).

    Artificial intelligence benefits the customer but also has its drawbacks

    79% of respondents think that AI tools have an overall positive impact on customers. This is corroborated by the fact that 54% of customer service representatives who say that their company uses AI-powered customer service software have reported an increase in customer satisfaction as a result. 
    However, no new tech is without its drawbacks, and maintaining customer trust will be a challenge to AI implementation, as cited by 40% of respondents. Other challenges include ensuring accurate information (45%) and maintaining customer privacy or security (31%).
    As the use of AI surrounds itself with concerns about data privacy, companies are putting measures in place to secure customer data, such as secure data storage (68%), data encryption (59%), secure communication channels (52%), and incident response and reporting (49%). Moreover, 83% of representatives who use AI-powered customer service tools say they have received training on handling customer data when using it. For those customers who are wary of AI, 60% of companies are offering customers the option to choose between AI and human-assisted interactions.

    Methodology
    Capterra's 2024 Customer Service Technology Survey was conducted online in May 2024 among 2,307 respondents in the U.S. (n=199), Canada (n=200), Brazil (n=188), Mexico (n=184), the U.K. (n=194), France (n=196), Italy (n=183), Germany (n=187), Spain (n=191), Australia (n=193), India (n=200), and Japan (n=192). The goal of the study was to explore how emerging call center technologies are enabling brands to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Respondents were screened to be full-time employees at organizations with 1 to 2,499 employees. They must be involved in customer service operations, use or buy customer service software, and handle customer service phone calls in house or externally.

    Media contact
    Eleanor Pitcher | eleanor.pitcher@gartner.com

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