Organizations are placing big bets on customer service technology, especially as products embed new artificial intelligence capabilities. However, a recent Gartner Business Buyer Survey reveals a sobering reality: 72 percent of customer service and support leaders experience buyers' regret after making such investments. This widespread dissatisfaction is not merely a result of poor technology choices but rather a consequence of how organizations approach the buying process
According to the survey, buyer's regret stems from several recurring issues, including the following:
- Misaligned Expectations: 41 percent of buyers reported that the technology delivered was not as advertised, citing flashy demonstrations that failed to reflect real-world performance.
- Technical Skill Gaps: 52 percent encountered unexpected challenges due to a lack of internal technical expertise required to manage the new technology.
- Integration Difficulties: 48 percent struggled to integrate the new solution with their existing systems.
These challenges highlight a fundamental disconnect between what buyers expect and what is ultimately delivered. The root cause often lies in a procurement process that prioritizes technical features over business outcomes.
The key differentiator between buyers who regret their purchase and those who do not is a relentless focus on business outcomes. Successful buyers consistently orient their decisions around the results they want to achieve rather than being swayed by the latest technical capabilities or features.
Contrary to what one might expect, successful buyers actually complete their purchases more quickly than those who experience regret. The secret lies in thorough internal planning and stakeholder alignment before engaging with technology providers. These buyers do the following:
- Develop a detailed business case that clearly defines the desired business outcomes.
- Secure budget commitments up front, ensuring financial alignment.
- Review potential risks and assess current business processes to identify gaps and requirements.
By investing time in these early-stage activities, organizations create a clear vision for their technology investments and foster alignment among all stakeholders. This approach not only streamlines the buying process but also reduces costly delays and miscommunications later on.
Moving Beyond Traditional RFPs
Traditional procurement processes, such as the request for proposal (RFP), often emphasize technical requirements at the expense of business objectives. Successful buyers, on the other hand, adopt an agile procurement process that keeps business outcomes front and center. This means engaging with providers in a way that prioritizes strategic goals over technical checklists and iteratively refining requirements based on stakeholder feedback and evolving business needs.
When it comes time to finalize vendor agreements, successful buyers look beyond the purchase price. Instead, they negotiate contract terms that incentivize vendors to support the achievement of defined business outcomes. This might include performance-based clauses that tie compensation to specific results as well as provisions for ongoing support and integration assistance.
Such arrangements ensure that vendors remain invested in the long-term success of the technology implementation rather than simply delivering a product and moving on.
Measuring Success: Broader Metrics, Less Regret
Most buyers plan to evaluate the success of their technology investment using one or two performance metrics. However, the survey found that buyers who plan a broader range of evaluation metrics are 3.6 times less likely to regret their purchases. By considering a wider array of success indicators, such as user adoption rates, customer satisfaction scores, and operational efficiency, organizations can gain a more comprehensive view of the technology's impact.
Avoiding buyer's regret in customer service technology purchases is less about choosing the best product and more about aligning the buying process with clear business outcomes. By prioritizing internal planning, stakeholder alignment, agile procurement, and outcome-based contracts, organizations can dramatically improve their chances of a successful investment. Ultimately, the path to satisfaction lies not in chasing the latest features but in ensuring that every decision supports the organization's strategic goals.
Eric Keller is a senior research director at Gartner; J.J. Moncus is a principal analyst in Gartner's Customer Service and Support Practice; and Alexandre Oddos is a vice president analyst at Gartner.