ServiceXRG Releases 2005 Support Operational Strategies and Benchmarks Study

The phone continues to dominate as primary support delivery channel; electronic support growth hindered by poor service levels

WELLESLEY, MA, March 7, 2005 -- Service Excellence Research Group, LLC (ServiceXRG), a leading Massachusetts-based industry resource for support and service industry professionals, today announced the immediate availability of the 2005 Support Operational Strategies and Benchmarks Study.

This unique study provides a comprehensive perspective on the support industry. It defines the critical metrics required to measure support efficiency and effectiveness and presents current service level performance benchmarks. Key findings of this study include:

- More than half (56.1%) of all support transactions are handled as live support requests while the remainder consist of self-service transactions.

- Significant service level disparity exists between interactive support delivery channels (phone and remote support) and passive channels (web support and electronic mail).

- Self-service use and success is on the rise with nearly two-thirds (60.1%) of customers saying they used self-service prior to requesting support assistance and half saying they are successful at finding what they are looking for.

- Outsourcing momentum is focused off-shore with an emphasis on outsourcing frontline calls and mature products.

“Even though the phone currently dominates, the use and acceptance of web-based support such as self-service and live chat is increasing. This is definitely the trend to watch,” said W. Ladd Bodem, Principal and Co-Founder, ServiceXRG.

Areas of in-depth coverage include use and effectiveness of support delivery channels, case closure and escalation rates, support delivery costs, outsourcing, self-service and customer satisfaction. Each area covered provides expert analysis and key findings to highlight important opportunities, challenges and trends.

“The ServiceXRG Benchmarks are a valuable strategic management tool. The Benchmarks validate our service improvement objectives and expose where we need to improve faster. The Benchmark metrics map exceptionally well to my business!” said John Paladino, Vice President, InterSystems.

The 2005 Support Operational Strategies and Benchmarks Study is an essential resource for service executives and operations managers that wish to understand the key metrics and benchmarks that define support efficiency and effectiveness. For more information about the study, visit www.servicexrg.com or contact Ladd Bodem at lbodem@servicexrg.com.

About ServiceXRG

ServiceXRG combines years of real-world service industry expertise with a unique ability to collect, analyze and present high-quality industry data. ServiceXRG’s research provides a balanced perspective of the IT services industry with views from users, service professionals and suppliers to the IT services industry. ServiceXRG provides custom benchmarking, competitive analysis, customer satisfaction assessment, and a series of reports on industry trends and best practices. For more information, visit www.servicexrg.com

Contact Information

Ladd Bodem

Media Contact

Service Excellence Research Group, LLC

Contact via E-mail