Why Customer Service Has Social Problems

Published: Aug 25, 2015
Updated: May 12, 2021
2 minute read

Why Customer Service Has Social Problems

Why Customer Service Has Social Problems

Why Customer Service Has Social Problems

Survey respondents said they’d rather go to the dentist than place a phone call to customer service, and most prefer to engage a business on social media.

Social Outlet

Social Outlet

Two-thirds of surveyed consumers said they’d use social media when pursuing customer support inquiries if the tools were available.

Leader of the Pack

Leader of the Pack

82% of those surveyed picked Facebook as the top social media platform for interacting with customer service teams.

Mixed Reviews

Mixed Reviews

37% of social media users would post a comment about a positive customer service experience, while 34% would do so about a negative one.

Online Research

Online Research

41% check a company’s FAQ first when they have a question, with 34% of these respondents saying they like to find out answers for themselves without anyone’s help.

Old School Tools

Old School Tools

80% said that getting customer service over the phone is inconvenient, and 56% feel the same way about customer support via email.

Lesser Evils

Lesser Evils

One-quarter said they’d rather get their teeth cleaned at the dentist than place a phone call to customer service, and one-fifth say they’d rather go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get a new ID.

Quick Conversation

Quick Conversation

Two-thirds expect a customer-support response within 10 minutes if their inquiry/complaint is made via chat, and 20% have set the same response expectations for inquiries/complaints made through social media.

Bad Exchange

Bad Exchange

Nearly nine out of 10 said they’ve had at least one negative customer-service interaction in the past.

Three Strikes

Three Strikes

On average, it takes three bad support interactions for a customer to stop using a brand, but 22% of Millennials would abandon a company after just one bad interaction.

Dennis McCafferty

Dennis McCafferty

Content Writer

Dennis McCafferty, a writer for eWeek, Baseline and CIO Insight, has more than 20 years of experience as a writer. He has covered a variety of technology and business topics for a number of publications, including those of Ziff Davis. Dennis was also an editorial staffer for USA Weekend, the nation’s second-largest magazine, with more than 22 million readers.

CIO Insight Logo

CIO Insight offers thought leadership and best practices in the IT security and management industry while providing expert recommendations on software solutions for IT leaders. It is the trusted resource for security professionals who need to maintain regulatory compliance for their teams and organizations. CIO Insight is an ideal website for IT decision makers, systems integrators and administrators, and IT managers to stay informed about emerging technologies, software developments and trends in the IT security and management industry.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.