• 2011State of the Industry: Six Trends Every Support Organization Should Know
• 2011Survey Results: People Issues in Customer Support
• 2011 Survey Results: How Support Behaviors are Changing for Mobile and Social Media Environments
• 2010 Service and Support Metrics Survey
• Research Insight: Self-Service Support
• Research Insight: Average Speed to Answer, Wait Time and Handle Time
• 2010 Service and Leadership Trends in Customer Support
• SupportIndustry.com Research Insight: Effectively Measuring Customer Loyalty
• SupportIndustry.com Research Insight: Cost Per Contact (Phone & E-Mail)
• SupportIndustry.com Research Insight: First Contact Resolution
• 2009 Service and Support Metrics Survey
• 2009 Research Results: The Distributed Workplace: The Challenges of Support
• 2008 Service and Support Metrics Survey
• 2008 Trends in Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• 2007 Multichannel Service and Support Executive Survey Report (member log-in required)

View the latest research related to the Service and Support Industry!

Two out of Three Consumers Switched Companies in 2011 Even Though They Gave Higher Marks for Service
Two out of three (66 percent) consumers switched companies –  including wireless phone, cable and utilities – as a result of poor customer service in 2011 even as their satisfaction with the services provided by those companies rose, according to new research released by Accenture.

CEOs say prospects gloomy for global economy
Nearly half (48%) of the 1,258 CEOs polled worldwide believe the global economy will decline even further in the next 12 months, according to PwC’s 15th Annual Global CEO Survey. Just 15% said the global economy will improve during 2012. However, nearly three times as many CEOs are confident in their own companies’ growth prospects for the next 12 months than in the outlook for the global economy, suggesting CEOs believe they have learned how to manage through difficult and volatile economic times.

The Consumerization of IT Helps Level the SMB Playing Field Across the World
Survey research from International Data Corporation (IDC) found that SMBs in developing countries are much more likely to encourage the use of worker-owned technology, allowing employee smartphones, netbooks, and media tablets to be connected to company networks to run a host of different business applications.

One in Three Consumers Consider Highly Trained Employees the Most Important Factor
Empathica Inc., a provider of Customer Experience Management (CEM) solutions, announced that its Consumer Insights Panel survey of 5,000 U.S. and Canadian consumers found that nearly a third of consumers consider highly knowledgeable and well-trained employees as the most important element of their luxury purchase experience.

Research Shows 86% of U.S. Adults Will Pay More For A Better Customer Experience
The Annual Customer Experience Impact (CEI) Report, conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of RightNow  among 2,291 U.S. adults, once again shows that delivering exceptional customer experiences is essential for any organization that wants to grow and sustain competitive differentiation in today’s market.

Survey Shows Flat IT Budgets in 2012, but IT Organizations Must Deliver on Multiple Priorities
IT organizations will have to deliver on multiple priorities without an increase in their IT budget, as CIO IT budgets are expected to be flat, increasing just 0.5 percent, with declining IT budgets in North America and Europe, according to a global survey of CIOs by Gartner, Inc.'s Executive Programs. 

How to succeed as a CIO in a new company
The first 90 days are the most critical for new CIOs, and their success is based on results.  Too often new CIOs try to do too much before they know enough.  The IT Productivity Center outlines six things that a new CIO should do.

Young Professionals, College Students Admit They'll Go To Extreme Measures for Internet Access Despite IT Policies
Seven out of 10 young employees frequently ignore IT policies, and one in four is a victim of identity theft before the age of 30, according to a global study from Cisco. The findings reveal startling attitudes toward IT policies and growing security threats posed by the next generation of employees entering the workforce – a demographic that grew up with the Internet and has an increasingly on-demand lifestyle that mixes personal and business activity in the workplace.

Consumers Say “Call Me -- If It’s Relevant”
New research from customer management leader Convergys Corporation shows that consumers welcome proactive outreach from service and sales organizations, but only when companies make the interaction relevant by first understanding the consumer’s individual needs and interests.

Gartner Says Worldwide IT Spending to Grow 3.7 Percent in 2012
Worldwide IT spending is forecast to total $3.8 trillion in 2012, a 3.7 percent increase from 2011, according to the latest outlook by Gartner, Inc. In 2011, worldwide IT spending totaled $3.7 trillion, up 6.9 percent from 2010 levels. Gartner has revised downward its outlook for 2012 global IT spending from its previous forecast of 4.6 percent growth.

New Research Finds IT Budgets Are Up, And So Is Demand for New Technology Projects
IT budgets are up, and so is demand for new technology projects, according to the 2012 edition of InformationWeek's annual Outlook survey. Fifty-six percent of respondents say their companies plan to increase tech spending in the coming year, up from 46% two years ago.