Nowadays, brands are more eager to provide a class-apart customer service experience to their clientele to stand out from competitors. To stay ahead of this crowded market, customer support needs to be constantly monitored and improved. 

Professional and top-notch customer service is a crucial aspect of every business to be successful in the long term. __Thanks to excellent customer service, companies can manage to retain existing customers__, thus enjoying all the benefits that this implies. [Existing consumers are likely to spend 300% more on your business compared to new customers](https://www.revechat.com/blog/repeat-customers/#:~:text=Repeat%20customers%20are%20likely%20to%20spend%20300%25%20more%20on%20your,your%20products%20than%20new%20customers), resulting in lower operational expenses for your company with higher profit. Also, cultivating a loyal customer base will bring steady cash flow and better word-of-mouth publicity. 

Providing exceptional customer support is no longer an option but a prerequisite. [Fortune Business Insights](https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/customer-experience-management-cem-market-101661) estimates the global customer experience management market at $11.34 billion in 2022. This is a whopping 12.2% growth from $10.11 billion in 2021 and is anticipated to reach $32.53 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 16.2%.

__Managing a company's customer support endeavor is not easy, and it requires various statistics to analyze what is going well and what must be stopped right then.__ A successful company will always rely on the best customer support statistics to build outstanding strategies for growth. Let us understand the importance of customer support and its effect on a company's success. 

## Why is customer support important for a company's success? 

Every company that wants to succeed and be in the market for a long time must pay attention to the importance of customer support statistics. __A brand's market value can be measured in terms of loyal and happy customers. Happy customers help a company grow with word-of-mouth advertising and numerous repurchases__. One way to do this is by providing a great post-sales experience.

For example, Hubspot says [68%](https://www.helpscout.com/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics/) __of customers are interested in paying more for products and services to a brand they know is good at providing customer experience__. Once a company makes a good impression on its customer base, it is easy for the customers to return.

On the flip side, there is a cost of poor customer support that a company has to pay. For example, around [61%](https://www.oberlo.co.uk/blog/customer-service-statistics) __of customers will switch to your competitors even if they go through only one bad customer support experience__. A high-quality product is never enough to be successful in the market because nobody wants to purchase products with below satisfactory or average post-sales experience. 

## 8 Most important statistics 
Are you wondering which customer support statistics you should measure and how frequently? Most companies review their statistics quarterly, while some KPIs give better results over time and can be measured annually.

Read below to learn more about the most important customer engagement statistics that can influence your strategy for an effective post-sales experience.

### 1. The cost of poor customer service
Undoubtedly, good customer service can help your business in various ways. But what happens when customer support doesn't go well as you planned? Your success depends on good customer support services. Likewise, your business will cripple if the customer service is a failure. 

Let's take some instances of the best customer support statistics to comprehend the matter more. 

-According to Ruby Newell-Legners, [12 positive customer experiences are necessary to compensate for 1 negative experience](https://www.helpscout.com/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics/). This means there will be hefty responsibility if your team fails to satiate your customers even for once. 

-Technology giant Microsoft thinks [58%](https://www.helpscout.com/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics/) __of American consumers will likely take service from other companies if they experience poor customer service__. More than 50 people in a group of 100 customers will go to other service providers who are good at customer service.

-According to Glance's report, [78%](http://ww2.glance.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Counting-the-customer_-Glance_eBook-4.pdf) __of customers will restrain themselves from purchasing your item due to poor customer experience__. 

### 2. The benefits of caring about your customers
If implemented effectively, customer service can help your company to reach significative perfromance improvement. First, having a good customer service will increase the profitability of your sales funnel. 
When your customer service team manage to makes customers happy, they will more easily convince customers to purchase your products and earn you revenue after every successful sale. 

Second, good customer care increases customer satisfaction with the product and the overall experience with your brand. This will create incentive for existing customers to re-purchase from you and spread word-of-mouth among family and friends. This will overall increase your sales. When customers are satisfied with the experience, they will likely become loyal, thus increasing your retention rate. 

Let's explore the customer support statistics to comprehend how good customer support can improve your overall performance.

-Salesforce Research found that [89 out of 100](https://blog.hubspot.com/service/customer-service-stats) __customers will make another purchase after a positive customer service experience__. So if you want to offer value for money, ensure your customers are not dissatisfied. 

-Another statistic from Hubspot shows how happy customers are blessings for a company's growth. [93%](https://blog.hubspot.com/service/customer-service-stats) __of customers will make other purchases with brands that offer brilliant customer service.__

-One of the best customer support statistics says [5%](https://smallbiztrends.com/2014/09/increase-in-customer-retention-increases-profits.html) __increased customer retention rates can augment the overall profit between 25-95%__. A happy customer will likely stay with your company for a long time. They will spread your company's reputation to other customers and influence them to buy your products. 

### 3. The power of word of mouth
Word of mouth is an effective marketing tool for any brand. Your target customers trust their friends and family. Sometimes word of mouth can work even better than your paid marketing efforts. 

-According to Neilsen's report, [92%](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/marketing/why-word-mouth-marketing-so-important) __of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family rather than advertisements__. Interestingly, word of mouth is ever-increasing and never stops unless your team fails considerably. Let's check some more statistics on the power of word of mouth. 

-CFI Group found that [36%](https://cdncom.cfigroup.com/wp-content/uploads/CFI-contact-center-satisfaction-2020.pdf) __of customers share their customer service experience on social media__. The power of social media is not unknown to us; it can literally ruin or make your brand's image. 

-Bright Local surveyed that [87%](https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/) __of customers are likely to check online reviews before purchasing a product__. 

-If your customers are happy with your services, [72%](https://www.helpscout.com/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics/) __of them will tell their experience to others__.

-[13%](https://www.slideshare.net/ekolsky/cx-for-executives/2) __of unhappy customers will share their negative experiences with 15 or more people__. On the other hand, [72%](https://www.slideshare.net/ekolsky/cx-for-executives/2) of customers will share their satisfactory experience with six or more people. Hence it is pretty clear that even one negative experience can cost you a bad reputation and lose customers dramatically.

![in article-review](//images.ctfassets.net/scrf7o05zai3/XMoEkBZbCa0ttlU3QVv84/24911aa21ccfc78ef3599670e1762263/in-article-gif.gif)

### 4. The importance of personalization
According to Paul Greenberg, "If a customer likes you and continues to like you, they will continue to do business with you. If they don't, they won't." 

Obviously, you will get support from your customers if they appreciate your effort. If you can make your customer feel welcomed, understood, and cared for, your company will flourish every time. It would help to educate yourself about your customers' backgrounds and interests, so that you can offer more suitable customer support and learn how to best resolve their issues through your customer support team. 

Here are some important customer support statistics you need to support your company's growth. 

-According to [Salesforce Research](https://www.helpscout.com/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics/), __consumers want firms to understand their specific requirements and expectations in 63 percent of cases, and B2B purchasers in 76 percent of cases__. This means your customer support strategy should be built on understanding their interests. 

-Trust Pilot says __when you integrate tailored experiences for your customers__, __your online conversion rate has the potential to increase by around__ [8 percent](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/browsers-to-buyers/why-a-personalized-consumer-experience-matters-in-the-ecommerce-world). These customer satisfaction statistics showcase your customer satisfaction is directly linked to your overall sales.

-[80%](https://www.helpscout.com/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics/) __of customers think a company's experience with them is equally significant as its goods or services__. So, product quality alone will not save your business in the long run. You also need to make sure your customers have an excellent experience each time they knock on your door. 

### 5. The effectiveness of different support channels (chat, social media )
Not every time your customers will call your customer service team to ask for support. __Many customers prefer to resolve issues autonomously__. There are various ways to support your customer to have a better experience with your services, such as phone, chat, email, or social media. 

Each support channel has its pros and cons, so you should use various ways to connect with them instead of focusing on one channel. Here are the best customer support statistics that you should consider:

-CFI Group presented data that shows that [76%](https://www.helpscout.com/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics/) of customers prefer traditional phone calls over mail and other channels to connect with customer service representatives. It does not mean you should only provide phone call support to your customers. You need to extend your help using other supportive channels for communication. 

-On the other hand, Salesforce says [78%](https://www.helpscout.com/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics/) __of customers prefer to use text messages for communication__. And some customers may choose mobile apps, and 82% of customers use mobile apps to get in touch with the service team. 

### 6. The predominance of self-service resources
Some customers prefer self-service resources as connecting with your team saves time and effort. You need to have enough resources to upload to the knowledge base. The knowledge base you provide must be accessible and full of relevant information. Help docs are at their best when they serve the actual needs of your customers. 

Let's learn the best customer support statistics and how they impact your company's overall performance.

-Zendesk says that even though [69%](https://www.zendesk.com/in/blog/self-service-support-companies-need-right/) __of consumers try to solve their issues independently__, less than one-third of firms provide self-service options like a knowledge base. Many customers are shy to talk about their problems and have a conversation with the service team. They choose to stay in their comfort zone if there is an abundant source of knowledge available on the website. 

-However, if the information about your products is hard to find, [28%](https://www.drift.com/learn/chatbot/why-are-chatbots-important/) __of customers report it as the most frustrating issue__. This frustration may lead these customers to switch to other service providers with good self-service customer support. 

### 7. The importance of training your support team
Your customer support team can only perform well if they are well trained. Your personnel should be prepared to deal with angry customers and try to get them back, meaning convert them into purchasing your product again. Here you can find some important statistics.

-[33%](https://blog.hubspot.com/news-trends/live-chat-go-to-market-flaw) __of customers find waiting on hold and having to repeat themselves to several support workers to be the two things that irritate them the most__. In these situations, a well prepared representative can talk to the customer so that he understands why there were delays or problems. Also, companies should remember not to hold a customer for a long time. 

-__Ineffective customer service is the most significant source of annoyance for__ [27%](https://www.helpscout.com/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics/) __of Americans__. If you fail to pay attention to this vital issue, there will be disastrous consequences for your company. 

### 8. Dealing with customers' emotions is essential
Effective communication with customers will build a trusting relationship that customers will hardly leave. No matter how hard you try to improve the quality of your product to impress your customers. __It will not work if you lack an understanding of your customer's feelings and emotions__. You also need to understand why a customer will buy your product and the reasons behind that decision. Emotion plays a crucial role for a brand to perform well. 

Here is a very interesting statistic that could be interesting for you to know. __Customers who have an emotional connection to a brand are more inclined to suggest it at a rate of__ [71%](https://folajomiballo.com/emotional-marketing-statistics-trends/). The most impactful marketing tactic that every company should master is creating emotional relationships with clients. Creating this bond with customers is a way for brands to quickly expand their businesses.

## How can Layerise help your business improve customer service?

Layerise provides you with a post-sales B2C enablement tool allowing you to offer an excellent experience to your customers. __Layerise solution combines all the newest trends to help you stay ahead of the curve and gain a competitive position in the market thanks to excellent customer support__.

With Layerise you can provide your customers with interactive and engaging [instructional content](https://www.layerise.com/customer-registrations), exceptional self-service support tools, a high level of personalization of services, and real-time 24/7 support through the [chat feature](https://www.layerise.com/service-and-support).

On top of a great customer experience, Layerise allows you to [collect relevant data](https://www.layerise.com/customer-registrations) about your customers to design the best marketing strategy for your product. Thanks to Layerise you can build automated marketing campaigns based on your audience and make your send-outs personal and relevant to increase conversions.

If you want to learn more about how Layerise can help your business, [book a free demo now](https://www.layerise.com/)!


Important Customer Support Statistics in 2022

The advent of digital instruction manuals is changing the rules of the manufacturing industry. 

As a customer, imagine a world where each product has its online user manual with instructions and suggestions on how to use the product, ideas from other customers, images, and video tutorials. Whenever you need help using the product, you can just open the digital user manual and find all the information you need. You could stop looking for that paper manual that you had stored somewhere, you could stop searching for amatorial videos on youtube, and you could stop wasting hours of your precious time. 

As a company, it is in your interest to offer your customers the best experience ever. This will increase your customer retention rate as customers will be more incentivized to repurchase from your company. But also your acquisition rate  will increase because when customers are happy about a product they are using, they will share their satisfaction with friends, colleagues, family, etc. 

I bet you are already thinking about how to introduce an online manual for your products. I am sure that in this article you will find answers to a lot of your questions. For example, can user manuals be published entirely online? Is there a legal backing for publishing entirely online, and does this apply to every product in the market today? 

This is not just a matter of customer convenience and efficiency – for some products it’s a legal requirement, too. What about product groups that fall under CE marking, like machines, medical devices, or toys? Unfortunately, the legislation is still incomplete. The possibilities for creating an online manual for any product depend on several factors.

To solve some of the question points about online manuals, this guide examines the legal basis that allows manufacturers to post instructions digitally.

### Legal Considerations for Creating Online Manuals

Let us give you a little background. The EU has several directives and regulations concerning the publication of technical requirements. While the directives and regulations may have different objectives, they all have one thing in common: they are concerned with the safe design and operation of machinery.

Since the legislation is still evolving, it is not easy to navigate. Here you can find some legal considerations for creating online manuals.

First, you need to take into account that __there are several pieces of legislation that regulate this issue__: The EU Electronic Commerce Directive 2000/31/EC (ECD), the EU E-Commerce Directive 2002/58/EC (ECD), the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and national laws.

Second, you need to consider that __there are two different legal requirements regarding the medium of your manual__: the first requirement concerns the medium itself (paper or electronic) and the second one is related to the publication format (PDF, Word, etc.).

Third, keep in mind that __there are no specific requirements on how a manual should be published online__ when it comes to online manuals. The only requirement is that it must be accessible in an accessible way for everyone, including those with disabilities. 

The EU has already taken a big step in digitalizing safety information. In 2016, the [New Legislative Framework](https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/goods/new-legislative-framework_en) was introduced, which simplified and modernized legislation. Before this, all EU countries had their own product safety laws, and now the New Legislative Framework combines into one law. As a result, only a few products still require a printed manual—the rest can be provided digitally.

The EU member states use the [Blue Guide](https://ec.europa.eu/growth/news/your-input-wanted-update-blue-guide-eu-product-rules-2019-11-28_en) to interpret and implement the requirements of the New Legislative Framework. The Blue Guide states that instructions unless specified otherwise may also be delivered in a different format with the product rather than in print. However, printed safety information must still be provided along with the product.

The European Commission’s draft of the eCommerce Directive’s revision aims to harmonize and standardize the laws across Europe. It addresses the EU’s circular economy objectives, clarifies some legal implications of Brexit, acknowledges the regulatory responsibilities for “end users,” and enunciates which safety information must be provided with a product.

To figure out what you can do legally, you need to map out all the legal requirements for each product. For starters, make sure that your products are compliant with all applicable international and national laws and regulations. This will inform your decision on what should go into the printed documentation.

### What are the advantages of an online manual?

Manufacturers know that the end-user needs information in a convenient manner. When customers face a problem, they typically don’t think about channels or journeys. They simply want to find the information they need as fast as possible. An online manual makes for the perfect resource because it can be accessed from anywhere and at any time.

For companies, an obvious benefit of an online manual is that it doesn’t come with the same logistical challenges as a printed version, so many manufacturers are moving their manuals online. In addition to that, by introducing an online user manual, your company can also reduce the environmental impact and enhance cost efficiency thanks to a decrease in paper and ink consumption. 

But, when considering how to provide your end-users with access to the information they want and need, you’ll need to consider all potential benefits and drawbacks before deciding.

![In text image - The Death of Print](//images.ctfassets.net/scrf7o05zai3/1YUHx1PG13seG8wUZnzlXQ/86f98e5067cbaabad9741f80f7f3116c/in-article.jpg)

__Other benefits of digital manuals include:__

#### The online manual can be easily accessed.

First, the online manual can be read from any device with an Internet connection. It doesn’t matter if you’re using a cell phone or a tablet, or even a desktop computer at home or work—the online manual is easy to find.

#### The online user manual has the advantage of being updated in real-time.

The second advantage of online user manuals is that they can be updated in real-time. When a company has an update to the instructions, they can change the web-based document immediately. This helps ensure that all users have access to the most up-to-date information. 

It’s also easy for multiple authors in different places worldwide to collaborate on updating the manual at once. They do not have to gather together in one place or take turns making edits and uploading them. Anyone who has access can make updates anytime from anywhere with internet access, which makes things much simpler for teams that are not located together physically but are working together on a project digitally.

#### A user manual that lives on the web will probably have images.

Digital user manuals are full of multimedia accompanying the written text, from diagrams to screenshots, images, videos, etc. That’s why a web-based user manual can be so much better than an offline version. 

Multimedia content can be used in different ways:
- Video, audio, and interactive components can be used to engage users more than traditional print-based guides do.
- Images and screenshots show how your product works, making it easy for people to understand how to use it effectively.
- Interactive images that allow users to click around make the user experience even more fun and interactive!

#### Web-based user manuals are often more complete than their print counterparts.

In addition to all the above benefits, a web page is not constrained by the amount of information that can be printed on a single sheet of paper. As a result, many online manuals include audio or video clips in addition to text and images. Animations can be used to demonstrate how to carry out certain steps of an instructional process. It is easier for new customers to understand it better and use it to its full extent when the manual contains all the relevant information and demonstrative multimedia content.

#### Digital manuals are environmentally friendly.

When using printed user manuals, companies consume a lot of paper, which translates to more felling of trees, increased carbon dioxide production, and global warming. Digital manuals can be a step towards ecological conservation thanks to reduced paper and ink consumption.

#### An online manual requires less effort to read and navigate.

This is a huge plus for customers who need to quickly get up to speed on using a product or service. Online manuals are easily navigable with quick links and shortcuts. In addition, online manuals can sometimes contain content you won’t find in printed versions, such as links to other resources that expand on some of the topics mentioned within the manual.

### Conclusion

Online solutions are the future of user manuals. The next generations might not even be aware that printed manuals existed.

Introducing online user manuals can be extremely beneficial for companies offering physical products. Also, you should consider that as you implement and keep improving your online manual, customers' satisfaction will increase together with the benefits you will experience as a company. 

Now that you have learned that online user manuals are the right choice for your products, keep in mind that there are some regulations to check to make sure that you can implement your digital manuals without incurring legal sanctions. Ultimately, instruction manuals are meant for information that relates to safe usage of the product, and any misrepresentation can lead to bitter consumer experiences, accidents, and lawsuits. 

If have already started thinking about what your digital user manual will look like, Layerise solution could be a good idea for you!

Layerise is a virtual product assistant that helps to solve the conundrum between going digital or using paper manuals for a product or not. By using our platform, companies can enhance their post-sales experience and provide relevant information about product usage, warranty, and maintenance conveniently. We would be happy to help you improve your post-sales experience. If you are interested to learn more, [contact us today](https://www.layerise.com/)!


Can user guides be published entirely online in 2022?

A Product Assistant is a digital, more modern, customer-friendly, mobile-first, and interactive user manual. First and foremost, the definition of a user manual is fairly simple. It is a step-by-step guide providing information on how to assemble, install, and generally use the product, an introduction to its main features, and also troubleshooting instructions to help people use the product properly. It should be the fundamental part of the customer experience, but the reality could be far different from the theory. The reason is that people usually do not read conventional product manuals as our [survey](https://www.layerise.com/resources/blog/post/the-lack-of-effectiveness) suggests, mostly due to the mismanagement of customers' expectations and continuous lack of easily accessible information.

---

__Main conclusions__:

- A positive and highly significant relationship between a Product Assistant quality and perceived product quality
- A Product Assistant is a part of the whole product experience and overall quality perception
- The value, familiarity, technology and complexity of the product moderate the effect of a Product Assistant quality on customer satisfaction

---

The user manuals are not presented nor organized in a way that would accommodate our needs. We want the information to be understood and handed over immediately as we don’t like to lose time. Thus, instead of using conventional user manuals, we can take advantage of today’s digital world and make it more interactive and customized. That’s where our Product Assistant steps in, solving the lack of engagement issues and opening the door for more opportunities. After using an efficient and effective Product Assistant, your customers might end up perceiving it as a part of their quality evaluation related to the product. Thus, such high-quality interactive manuals could influence their views not only on your products but also on your customer service and the company itself (Gök, Ersoy & Börühan, 2019).

Customers view the most obvious product characteristics, such as durability, serviceability, performance, usability, or reliability as part of the *primary product*. Most of us would think that those are indispensable factors in assessing customer satisfaction. We seem to ignore that the accompanying products and services - well known as *secondary products* have an equally important effect on overall satisfaction and thus, customer perception of product quality. The right type of manual plays a crucial role in “the total product package” and therefore, in measuring and explaining customers’ level of contentment (Smart, Madrigal & Seawright, 1996). As a result, providing a Product Assistant of the highest quality seems to be of great importance when assessing perceived product quality. Let’s look closely into what happens “behind the scenes” by answering the following question:

### How could the Product Assistant's quality influence consumer satisfaction?

Above all, defining and measuring a Product Assistant quality is subjective from one organisation to another. However, looking at the academic conclusions, the quality of such an Assistant can be characterised by its usability, reliability, accessibility, readability, or findability (Mead, 1998). Consequently, having a high-quality Product Assistant can act as post-purchase product information signaling product quality. Why is this important?

---

__Characteristics of a Product Assistant quality__:

- Usability
- Reliability
- Accessibility
- Readability
- Findability 

---

In social psychology, the theory of “*Cognitive dissonance*” refers to the mental conflict that results from holding two conflicting beliefs. Thus, any discrepancy between expectations and product performance might cause high levels of mental discomfort. The dissonance is at its maximum right after purchasing the product (and before properly experiencing it) and that’s the foundation of satisfaction formation. Hence, the provision of post-purchase supporting information results in a decrease in psychological discomfort about the choice of purchasing that particular product. In a nutshell, sharing high-quality information helps to abate uncertainty and enable customers to make better use of the products, which ultimately impacts customer satisfaction. That means that a well-established user manual or in our case Product Assistant can influence satisfaction judgments (Cooper, 2011) (Gök, Ersoy & Börühan, 2019). This means that satisfied customers will start believing in your brand and become loyal. Such customers give your brand repeat business and form a major part of the company’s revenue. 

Additionally, another theory called the “*Contrast theory*” can explain the product evaluation process as well. It predicts that the customer will amplify the difference between the product received and the product expected. That means that if the post-purchase product performance fails to meet the pre-purchase product expectations, the consumers will not be happy (Anderson, 1973) (Korgonkar & Moschis, 1982). As a result, the Product Assistants can be used as a tool to help assess the product and the related satisfaction judgments. In other words, a high-quality Assistant can help breach the gap between expectations and reality, and thus, provide a remarkable customer experience. This is critical to the sustained growth of the business. Moreover, customers are the main competition differentiator, which means that without high levels of customer satisfaction, your business is likely to perish in the future.     

Furthermore, the findings of the empirical research by Gök, Ersoy & Börühan (2019) back these theories even further by revealing that there is a positive and highly significant relationship between user manual quality and perceived product quality. They found that consumers judge their interaction with such manuals as an intrinsic part of the whole product experience. Besides, it proposes that product value, familiarity, complexity, or technology, and product experience moderate the direct and indirect effects of manual quality on customer satisfaction via perceived product quality. These theories can be easily applied to the context of our Product Assistants as well since they are digital user manuals. In addition, the study of Jahanshahi et al. (2011) shows that through the use of more interactive content of user manuals (such as Product Assistants), customers exhibit even higher levels of engagement and satisfaction as well as demonstrate greater levels of brand loyalty.

All in all, Product Assistants accompanying the product should be viewed as an extension of the “core product” that influences its assessment and is an intrinsic element of the whole product and customer experience. Such overall perceived product quality mediates the influence of a Product Assistant's quality on customer satisfaction. Thus, providing high-quality Product Assistants should be a vital part of your product management and development strategies. 

### References

Anderson, R.E. (1973), “Consumer dissatisfaction: the effect of disconfirmed expectancy on perceived product performance”, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 38-44.

Cooper, J., 2011. Cognitive dissonance theory. Handbook of theories of social psychology, 1, pp.377-398.

Gök, O., Ersoy, P. & Börühan, G., 2019. The effect of user manual quality on customer satisfaction: the mediating effect of perceived product quality. Journal of Product & Brand Management.

Jahanshahi, A.A., Gashti, M.A.H., Mirdamadi, S.A., Nawaser, K. and Khaksar, S.M.S., 2011. Study the effects of customer service and product quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1(7), pp.253-260.

Korgaonkar, P.K. & Moschis, G.P., 1982. “An experimental study of 
cognitive dissonance, product involvement, expectations, performance and consumer judgment of product performance”, Journal of Advertising, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 32-44.

Mead, J., 1998. Measuring the value added by technical documentation: A review of research and practice. Technical communication, 45(3), p.353.

Smart, K.L., Madrigal, J.L. and Seawright, K.K., 1996. The effect of documentation on customer perception of product quality. IEEE transactions on professional communication, 39(3), pp.157-162.

Effects of the Product Assistant on customer satisfaction through the perceived product quality

Customer product experience and service objectives are no longer just nice-to-have activities. Data and macro trends show that it's becoming an essential part of a competitive advantage. 

> By 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key differentiator between brands.
> 

*Walker Report*


For a long time, it's being commonly understood that if you build a nice product or introduce a price competitive device, the success is more or less ensured. But in a world where product expertise, technological distribution, talent accessibility and production availability is broadly and globally present, it's no longer a strongly convincing argument. In a report from Walker is stated that by 2020, the price tag and the product quality will be overshadowed by customer experience. Moreover, as evident below by Forrester, having the appropriate experience established for your brand and product is vital for product penetration. 

> 90% of customer Experience decision-makers say that a good experience is critical for success.
> 

*Forrester*


Based on our customer research that we have initiated earlier this year, and have been conducting throughout the summer, is clear that customer experience funnels and solutions are at the highest of importance for product satisfaction and brand repurchase. In more detail, our data shows that brands, who focus on delivering digital post-purchase product onboarding or instructions, are __5 times more__ likely to see their customer base repurchasing their products. In addition, we find strong evidence that customers have a preference for digital (video, images and voice instructions) product instruction experiences. In fact, 84% of all participants are seeking experiences that go beyond the static and hardware limited print instructions. Post-sale experiences need to be digital, omnipresent and provide benefits and services which can prolong their product satisfaction.



As the end of the year is near it's worth for brands and marketers to notice that the competitive landscape is changing. The focus on long term customer experience is essential for product longevity. At Layerise we are extremely focused on providing solutions that can mitigate the growing hunger for better customer experience and at the same time provide great ROI for global brands. Our purpose is to establish solutions that can lead the way for effective and efficient customer journeys.  

What brands need to know

Early this year we decided to initiate a global survey. The aim was to provide some additional insights on how consumers experience the printed product manuals.

Many surveys have already worked extensively with this topic and the vaste concensus is: Consumers don't benefit from the provided product manual. We have studied these findings in great detail and have been able to extract tremendous amount of useful data. On the other hand, as we very focused on getting even more granular data about consumers wishes, excpectations and experiences, we have decided move forward with our own data gathering to further solidify our emperical base.

One of the things we focused a lot on in the survey, is making sure that we did not end up with a biased or very segmented group of respondents. We, therefore, decided to look for respondents that resemble the general consumer population (gender and age). At the same time we aimed at respondants with diverse purchasing patterns. As evident to chart 1, we believe that our respondents represent the addressable consumer base.

![group-6](//images.ctfassets.net/scrf7o05zai3/4Qvzhv1hJmkqOEyCcyysSO/67f708b37f8a252bffaed434e3ea1de2/group-6.png?w=1200&q=80)
*Chart 1*

## Product manual usage
Our underlying assumption was already well established by many other survey publications. The average consumer was confronted with a high cognitive effort task when using the product manual. In return this resulted in misreading, no reading of product instructions or mis-use of the product. Also our findings confirm this assumption.

- 46% never read the product manual before using their device
- 39% never use the product manual for product onboarding purposes
- 76% are mis-using or not using the product completely due to lack of know-how
- 92% don't read the product warranty declaration

The above results are not surprising. Based on our random test we did during 2017 we found a large number of product manuals that were unhelpful. Some of which were never used by our sample group of people.

## The top-line problems
If we dig a bit deeper into the data, it becomes more and more clear that the broader issues with product manuals do not come from the lack of need. Instead, it is driven by the continuous lack of clear and easily accessible information and value-added benefits.

- 54% don't find the product manual helpful
- 35% never get their needs covered when troubleshooting
- 40% don't use the product manual. Instead, they use other sources that are easier accessible on demand

It's evident that the product manual lacks effectiveness. What we have learned is that consumers tend not to utilise them before start using the purchased product. Moreover, it is also evident in the presented data above that consumers are not willing to go through the hassle of reading the manual as the way information or knowledge is handed-over is not packaged and presented accordingly to their needs.

Enough with yammering for this time. We have tons of data to support the above results further. As we go through our analysis, we will keep on sharing. For now, it's more clear than ever that it's wise to start thinking about new was of onboarding and introducing your product to your customers as the status-quo product manual might very well fall short.


The lack of effectiveness

Roughly two months have passed since we initiated a global consumer survey with the purpose of shedding some additional light on the lack of effectiveness of the product manuals.

To set the right context for our survey and thereby to ensure that our methodology and our empirical data is useful, we spent some time defining what a product manual is.

## Definition
Early this year we wrote that the product manual has many names, however, we needed to define it.

> A product manual is a physical or digital document (made available by URL) that the consumer is provided during the unboxing of the purchased product. The product manual can consist of 1 or many pages, contain localised content, imagery or graphical material, warranty information and product registration guidelines.

## Methodology
We decided to use online survey tools to build our 21 questions questionnaire. The subjects were divided into 6 sections, starting with the easy questions and slowly asking more in-depth questions. All respondents remained anonymous and were able to answer the questionnaire once. Finally, the respondents were selected randomly, and we decided to run the survey over a period of nearly two months across all continents primarily focusing on English speaking entities.

## Empirical base (n=1251)
We managed to receive 1251 fully answered surveys. As evident in chart 1. below, 57% of the respondents were male while the rest, 43% were female.

![gender](//images.ctfassets.net/scrf7o05zai3/5Zxt4xFwxqUYiqKsicGoEW/e9c9f3d7798d002d961292e7a4b1adf5/gender.png?w=1200&q=80)
*Chart 1*

Moreover, as shown in chart 2, 59% of respondents are in the age group 18-24 which made up the biggest respondent age group. At second place with 30%, we have age group 25-34, and the third largest age group was 35-44 with 8%.

![age](//images.ctfassets.net/scrf7o05zai3/6LVjSil5HGUMAIWqyiq6ew/fbbcb3ccffcc0ed2d71edeab08d577af/age.png?w=1200&q=80)
*Chart 2*

Also, the survey data shows that the respondents come from a variety of continents. As evident to chart 3 the majority of the respondents are from located in Asia, Africa and Europe. Collectively more than 80% come from these three continents.

![location](//images.ctfassets.net/scrf7o05zai3/6dAUrlDbJmeEesAu20Y2iu/4eafc229cc28a7de70a61dbbdcf8ab66/location.png?w=1200&q=80)
*Chart 3*

Finally, we are super excited to dig deeper into the survey results. The initial analysis shows that our assumptions and early finding are in some cases fully and partially confirmed. At some point during March 2018, we will release the initial review.


Global survey - initial results

After months of research and discussions, it has become evident that there is something wrong with how consumers are introduced to the products they purchase.

We reviewed hundreds of products and we realised that the most frequent way of introducing products to consumers, and that is nearly 9 out of 10 times, is by printed B/W user manuals. There are many names for these manuals some of which are; User guide, instruction manual, owners manual, operator manual or product manual. While there are many names and shapes for the printed manual, they all tend to fall short in providing a useful and enjoyable product onboarding experience.

Limiting the product onboarding to the printed manual as described above, comes with a number of shortcomings. Some of the obvious ones:

- Customers don't enjoy reading manuals
- Customers find manuals challenging to use
- Information is not presented in a customer friendly manner
- Information is not shown in a prioritised way
- Content localisation becomes a problem and not benefit due to localisation overload
- Images are low quality
- Do not provide digital information access points
- The above list is extensive. Due to this finding, we have decided to finance a global consumer survey with the purpose of understanding the above in granular detail and more importantly map the end-consumers product introduction/onboarding needs and behaviour.

Over the next couple of months, we will be analysing the data and use it to steer our innovative solutions. We plan to share some of the first findings with you towards the end of February 2018.

Blog

Have a question?

Trusted by companies like