ServiceNow Study: Human Connection Still Matters in Customer Service

ServiceNow released findings from a survey of 34,665 people across 18 countries — including 27,250 customers, 3,515 service representatives, and 3,900 executives. The study reveals some interesting tensions in how customer service is evolving.

According to the survey, 76% of customers prefer self-service before talking to a live representative, while 86% still want phone calls available. ServiceNow's analysis suggests these aren't conflicting preferences — customers want self-service for simple issues but human contact for complex or emotionally charged problems.

As one consumer in the study put it: "I can easily solve my problems with an AI chatbot...but when it comes to complex matters, I prefer human contact." A U.S. consumer shared similar feelings: "If it's a simple issue, I'm totally fine using AI, because it's actually quicker and it'll be more efficient."

The Empathy Gap

The ServiceNow survey found a significant disconnect between customer frustrations and executive priorities. According to the findings, 50% of customers say lack of empathy is their top frustration with customer service, yet only 23% of executives identify it as a top challenge.

ServiceNow suggests this gap stems from how organizations measure success. Executives often focus on metrics like resolution rates and call deflection, while customers evaluate whether they felt heard and treated like a person rather than a ticket number.

System Problems Behind Service Issues

The survey revealed operational challenges affecting service quality. According to ServiceNow's findings, service representatives spend only 45% of their time actually helping customers, with the rest going to administrative tasks. The study found that 80% of service reps toggle between three to five systems just to answer a single customer question.

ServiceNow contends that many organizations are implementing new technologies on top of legacy backend systems, making it difficult to deliver the engagement customers want.

AI's Role in Customer Service

While customers' top concern with AI chatbots is their inability to understand questions or concerns, ServiceNow's survey suggests organizations shouldn't abandon AI. Instead, the company argues based on the survey findings that businesses should leverage AI to help human agents build trust and create emotional connections that drive customer loyalty.

Only 7% of executives in the survey are prioritizing phone support over the next three years, with investments shifting toward social media messaging, intelligent chatbots, and other channels. However, ServiceNow notes that 82% of organizations currently offer phone support with human agents, suggesting the channel isn't disappearing but evolving.

The study indicates that as voice AI matures, customers may increasingly call channels that resolve their issues rather than just transfer them to a person.