There's something so old-fashioned about poring over email threads trying to find answers. Traditionally, business-to-business communication has been relegated to emails, video chats and phone calls. It left a lot to be desired—namely, convenience. We message our friends, family and colleagues on a variety of platforms and apps, so why can't businesses leverage the same kind of rich, intuitive communication when they interact with other businesses?

Customer service is becoming a critical driver of how a company is perceived, what drives consumer loyalty and determining where they open their wallets. Companies are equally praised for the exceptional support they provide, while others are relentlessly chastised for failing to deliver. Below, we want to show you how that perception has become reality with 42 customer service statistics you need to know for 2021.

Approximately 96% of business leaders reported that focusing on agent experiences makes it easier to retain top talent. That’s not all. An astounding 87% of business leaders also shared that prioritizing employee happiness will give them a competitive advantage. Despite these findings, only 19% of companies have made agent experience their strategic priority. As a result, poor agent experience contributes to high turnover rates, especially for contact center agents.

Imagine you just bought a brand new guitar and you’re ready to shred. Your amp is on and set high, your cords are all plugged in, you’re ready to jam. You strum an E major chord only to find that it plays an F minor – not good. You just want to noodle over Baba O’Reilly but now you have to call support, explain a whole spiel, and potentially deal with long wait times and some irritating back-and-forth until you can finally realize your inner Sister Rosetta Tharpe.