According to the Harvard Business Review, the average company loses half its customers every five years. Given the high cost of getting new customers, the same companies could double their profits if they could eliminate 10-15% of those defections.

A Forrester Research estimates that using the Internet for online customer support can cut service costs by 43 percent.

The Yankee Group forecasts the Internet customer service market growing from $150 million in 1999 to $1 billion in 2003.

A Jupiter Communications report, based on a survey of 125 major Web sites said that 42 percent of the sites surveyed  either never responded to customer inquiries, took more than five days to reply, or didn't offer email responses to respond to problems customers are experiencing.

"Meanwhile, …. 36% have no plans to integrate their call-center operations with their Web sites, a sign that those companies aren't focusing on customer retention" said. Melissa Bane, director of the Boston-based research firm Internet Market Strategies. "Customer service will become the key differentiator between Web sites" in the near future" Bane predicted while speaking at Comdex Miami 99.

Average number of transactions per online household
1996: 9 per year
2000: 120 per year
Jupiter Communications, 1996

By the year 2000, 46 million consumers in America will be buying online. —International Data Corp

Call center service requests average $53 per call, e-mail support averages $3 per message.—Software Support Professional Association (SSPA)

50 e-mail messages per day can be the breakpoint for needing automated tools for managing and automating the handling of e-mail.—GartnerGroup

The percentage of people using e-mail will reach 50% by 2001 as the volume of e-mail grows six times to 12 billion messages. —Forrester Research

E-mail from customers and potential customers will increase from an average of 500 a day to more than 2,000 within the next two years.—Forrester Research

Outsourcing service offers flexibility - By Julia King and Barb Cole-Gomolski Computerworld.com
http://www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/all/980504483A

Online Customer Service - Strategies for Improving Satisfaction and Retention
http://www.jup.com/store/studies/ocs/excerpt.html

Future electronic support will blend digital and human help
Business Week
http://www.businessweek.com/1998/25/b3583016.htm