ServiceNow study flags empathy gap in customer service

ServiceNow has published research showing a wide gap between customer expectations and how organisations deliver service.

The global study surveyed 27,000 customers, 3,500 service representatives and 3,900 executives. It found that only 10% of customers described their service experience over the past 12 months as great.

The results point to tensions between the speed customers expect, the empathy they want and the systems service teams rely on to handle enquiries.

Less than half of customers rated service as good over the past year, while 44% of executives reported high customer churn linked to poor experiences. At the same time, 59% of customers said lack of empathy was their biggest frustration.

Repetition was another common complaint. Some 44% of customers said they had to repeat their issue or re-enter information, suggesting disconnected systems remain a basic obstacle in many service operations.

Empathy gap

The research identified a mismatch between what customers value and what executives prioritise. Half of customers surveyed said lack of empathy was their biggest frustration, while only 23% of executives considered it a priority.

ServiceNow described this as an "empathy gap" in customer experience strategy. The data suggests many businesses are focusing AI efforts elsewhere, even though emotional connection remains a major source of dissatisfaction.

Only 11% of organisations reported meaningful progress in using AI to build emotional connections with customers. Fewer than 40% of leaders said they had made substantial progress on responsiveness, security and emotional connection, which the research identified as priorities for customers.

System strain

The survey also highlighted pressure on front-line service teams. Eighty per cent of service representatives said they use three to five systems to resolve a single customer issue, and spend only 46% of their time directly addressing customer needs.

More than half of service representatives, 53%, said high case and call volume was their top challenge. Only 36% said they have the tools and training needed to provide a superior customer experience.

Data fragmentation appears to be a particular point of tension between front-line staff and management. Half of service representatives said inconsistent views of customer data were a top challenge, compared with 23% of executives.

Just 37% of executives said they had made significant progress in connecting people, data and processes with AI-enabled workflows on a unified platform. Many organisations are therefore still relying on fragmented systems while trying to improve service delivery.

AI Expectations

Customers are not rejecting automation outright. The survey found that 66% want self-service options before speaking to a service representative, indicating support for digital channels in simpler interactions.

For more difficult cases, however, human contact still matters. The research showed that 85% prefer phone calls with a person for complex interactions, yet only 10% of executives said they plan to prioritise phone service over the next three years.

That gap could create further friction as companies rebalance service channels. While businesses continue to invest in automation, customers appear to want convenience for routine matters and direct human support when issues become more complicated.

Expectations for AI are also rising. Nearly half of customers, 47%, said they expect AI to improve speed and efficiency in future service interactions.

Among service representatives, 53% said AI allows them to focus more on customer service by reducing time spent on routine tasks. Nearly half said it helps them resolve issues faster.

The challenge, the research suggests, is not whether AI should be used in customer service, but where and how it is applied. Faster responses alone may not improve satisfaction if customers still need to repeat information or feel they are being handled without understanding.

For executives, the figures point to a broader management issue. High churn, weak service ratings and continuing complaints about empathy and disconnected systems indicate that customer experience problems are not confined to one part of the service chain.

The central finding is that customers want both efficiency and human understanding, while service representatives need simpler systems and better support to provide it. Yet only 11% of organisations report meaningful progress in using AI to build emotional connections with customers.