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Trend 2

A more conversational world

As customers adopt new behaviors, the soaring popularity of messaging apps opens the door for more streamlined, conversational experiences.

Section 1

Changes to customer behavior are likely permanent

As the world changed around them, customers changed right with it. Nearly a third of customers started buying from new companies during the pandemic, and 64% reported using new channels. Millennials and GenZers flocked to messaging channels. And most don’t plan on looking back.

Customers picked up new habits during the pandemic, and the vast majority plan to keep them

31%of customers bought from a new company in 2020 and 84% plan to keep buying from them

64%of customers used a new support channel in 2020 and 73% plan to keep using it

Messaging sees a surge in first-time users

0%20%10%30%50%40%
Percentage of surveyed consumers who used the channel for the first time
AI or bot
Community forum
Email
Help center or FAQ
In store
Messaging (social, SMS/
text, embedded)
Online contact forms
Phone
Social media post
Video chat or
conferencing
Voice assistant
VR/AR
Web chat
Millennials/Gen Zers
Gen Xers
Silents/Baby Boomer
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0%40%20%60%100%80%
Percentage of surveyed consumers who used the channel for the first time
AI or bot
Community forum
Email
Help center or FAQ
In store
Online contact forms
Phone
Social media post
Video chat or
conferencing
Voice assistant
VR/AR
Web chat
Messaging (social, SMS/
text, embedded)
All other countries
France
India
Korea
Mexico
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Filter by:

Age
50%40%30%20%10%0%
Percentage of surveyed consumers who used the channel for the first time
AI or bot
Community forum
Email
Help center or FAQ
In store
Messaging (social, SMS/text, embedded)
Online contact forms
Phone
Social media post
Video chat or conferencing
Voice assistant
VR/AR
Web chat
Millennials/Gen Zers
Gen Xers
Silents/Baby Boomer
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Country
50%40%30%20%10%0%
Percentage of surveyed consumers who used the channel for the first time
AI or bot
Community forum
Email
Help center or FAQ
In store
Online contact forms
Phone
Social media post
Video chat or conferencing
Voice assistant
VR/AR
Web chat
Messaging (social, SMS/text, embedded)
All other countries
France
India
Korea
Mexico
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Section 2

Messaging gets a pandemic boost

Messaging apps were already hugely popular, particularly in Latin America and Asia, but usage has surged to an estimated 2.77 billion monthly users around the globe. More customers say they prefer to message a company through its own website or app, but social messaging apps are also a popular choice. Support requests over apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger spiked significantly during the pandemic.

Support requests surge over messaging apps

Max percentage difference of avg weekly ticket volume compared to 2/23
0%
WhatsApp
Facebook
Messaging
AI
Chat
Self-service
Email/
Webform
Phone
Social
Media
Text/SMS
20%40%60%80%100%
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Max percentage difference of avg weekly ticket volume compared to 2/23
WhatsApp
Facebook
Messaging
Chat
AI
Self-service
Email/
Webform
Phone
Social
Media
Text/SMS
0%
50%100%150%200%
Data for some groups is not shown due to small sample size
AMER
APAC
EMEA
LATAM
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Max percentage difference of avg weekly ticket volume compared to 2/23
WhatsApp
Facebook
Messaging
Chat
AI
Self-service
Email/
Webform
Phone
Social
Media
Text/SMS
0%50%100%250%200%150%300%
Data for some groups is not shown due to small sample size
SMB
Midsize
Enterprise
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Overall
0%20%40%
Max percentage difference of avg weekly ticket volume compared to 2/23
60%100%80%
WhatsApp
Facebook Messaging
AI
Chat
Self-service
Email/Webform
Phone
Social Media
Text/SMS
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Region
0%50%100%
Max percentage difference of avg weekly ticket volume compared to 2/23
150%200%
WhatsApp
Facebook Messaging
Chat
AI
Self-service
Email/Webform
Phone
Social Media
Text/SMS
AMER
APAC
EMEA
LATAM
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Company Size
0%50%150%100%
Max percentage difference of avg weekly ticket volume compared to 2/23
200%300%250%
WhatsApp
Facebook Messaging
AI
Chat
Self-service
Email/Webform
Phone
Social Media
Text/SMS
SMB
Midsize
Enterprise
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More customers prefer to use embedded messaging to communicate with businesses

45%over embedded messaging

31%over social messaging apps

20%over text/SMS

Section 3

Messaging becomes a gateway to more conversational CX

Messaging’s popularity has grown faster than any other channel and it’s rapidly transforming how customers interact with brands. Convenient, conversational, and personal, messaging promotes an ongoing dialogue between customer and company. With messaging, customers can easily get their issues resolved on a channel they use with family and friends and while they’re doing other things, like walking the dog or working from home.

Recent releases from tech giants like Apple, Google, and Facebook mean that customers now have more opportunities to easily connect with their favorite brands. However, businesses will need to adapt their tools and processes to make sure they're not just ready to engage in these new spaces, but are providing unified, conversational experiences across all channels.

Messaging has seen the biggest jump in popularity over the last year

0%20%10%30%50%40%
Which communication method do you most prefer to use for customer service issues?
Channel
Percentage of surveyed customers who say they most prefer to use this channel
In-app messaging
SMS/Text
Social messaging
36% growth75% growth110% growth20202021
50%40%30%20%10%0%
Percentage of surveyed customers who say they most prefer to use this channel
In-app messaging
SMS/Text
Social messaging
36% growth
75% growth
110% growth
Channel
20202021
Which communication method do you most prefer to use for customer
service issues?
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Conversational business gets a big boost from Big Tech

June

Google launches Business Messages, embedding conversational experiences into maps and search results

July

Apple makes Business Chat widely available, connecting global brands and customers through iMessage

October

After years of regulatory delays, WhatsApp rolls out in-chat payments in India and reaches a global milestone of 100 billion daily messages

October

Facebook advances its private messaging vision, allowing Messenger and Instagram users to chat across platforms — and opening Instagram’s API to businesses

Timeline

Section 4

Companies are meeting customers where they are

For companies, staying connected to customers means seeking out new ways to engage. Of the 40 percent of companies that added a new channel this year, 53 percent turned to messaging, including apps like WhatsApp, SMS/texting, and messaging embedded in a company’s own website.

According to our data, companies that boast the fastest resolution times and highest satisfaction scores are more likely to be messaging with their customers. Direct-to-consumer sectors like e-commerce and gaming are leading in this effort, and are scaling messaging channels faster than everyone else.

Companies adding new channels embrace messaging

0%20%10%30%50%60%40%
Percentage of surveyed CX manager who added new channel
AI or bot
Community forum
Email
Help center or FAQ
In store
None of the above
Phone
Messaging (social, SMS/
text, embedded)
Social media post
Video chat or
conferencing
Voice assistant
VR/AR
Web chat
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0%20%10%30%50%60%40%
Percentage of surveyed CX manager who added new channel
AI or bot
Community forum
Email
Help center or FAQ
In store
None of the above
Phone
Messaging (social, SMS/
text, embedded)
Social media post
Video chat or
conferencing
Voice assistant
VR/AR
Web chat
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0%20%10%30%50%60%40%
Percentage of surveyed CX manager who added new channel
AI or bot
Community forum
Email
Help center or FAQ
In store
None of the above
Phone
Messaging (social, SMS/
text, embedded)
Social media post
Video chat or
conferencing
Voice assistant
VR/AR
Web chat
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0%20%10%30%50% 60%40%
Percentage of surveyed CX manager who added new channel
AI or bot
Community forum
Email
Help center or FAQ
In store
None of the above
Phone
Messaging (social, SMS/
text, embedded)
Social media post
Video chat or
conferencing
Voice assistant
VR/AR
Web chat
Internet Explorer doesn’t support these charts.

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Filter by:

Overall
60% 40%50%30%20%10%0%
Percentage of surveyed CX manager who added new channels
AI or bot
Community forum
Email
Help center or FAQ
In store
Phone
Messaging (social, SMS/text, embedded)
Social media post
Video chat or conferencing
Voice assistant device
VR/AR
Web chat
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SMB
60%40%50%30%20%10%0%
Percentage of surveyed CX managers who added new channels
AI or bot
Community forum
Email
Help center or FAQ
In store
None of the above
Phone
Messaging (social, SMS/text, embedded)
Social media post
Video chat or conferencing
Voice assistant device
VR/AR
Web chat
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Midsize
60%40%50%30%20%10%0%
Percentage of surveyed CX managers who added new channels
AI or bot
Community forum
Email
Help center or FAQ
In store
None of the above
Phone
Messaging (social, SMS/text, embedded)
Social media post
Video chat or conferencing
Voice assistant device
VR/AR
Web chat
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Enterprise
60%40%50%30%20%10%0%
Percentage of surveyed CX managers who added new channels
AI or bot
Community forum
Email
Help center or FAQ
In store
None of the above
Phone
Messaging (social, SMS/text, embedded)
Social media post
Video chat or conferencing
Voice assistant device
VR/AR
Web chat
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High performers are more likely to adopt messaging channels

0%10%5%15%25%20%30%
Percentage of companies using messaging
High performer
Average performer
Low performer
25%30%20%15%10%5%0%
Percentage of companies using messaging
High performer
Average performer
Low performer
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“In 2020 we saw a progression in customer journeys away from pure customer care towards higher ROI scenarios like lead gen, sales and marketing. In 2021 we expect to see that evolution continue, with businesses triggering conversational experiences from advertising and consumers completing purchase journeys inside of asynchronous messaging.”

Rob Lawson

Partnerships at Google

NEXT CX TREND

Emphasis on agility

Explore Trends

  • 01

    Spotlight on CX

  • 02

    A more conversational world

  • 03

    Emphasis on agility

  • 04

    The future of work is now

  • 05

    The digital tipping point

  • Best practices

    Make the most of this year's trends

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