New technologies often bring new complexities. Though many people have become accustomed to updating their Facebook statuses and texting emergency grocery lists from their phones, there was a time when these activities were new. For most companies, that time is now. Social and mobile channels are quickly coming into play in the customer service realm, but many have yet to implement a fully developed strategy.

The Economist Intelligence Unit's "Getting closer to the customer" report, sponsored by Genesys, explores how these new communication channels are changing the dialogue between companies and their customers. This survey, which polled 798 senior executives worldwide, focuses on how companies are responding to the expansion of social media and mobile devices, and how these technologies have impacted the traditional customer-company relationship.

The following findings and statistics examine the key sources of confusion as well as the tactics that have proved most beneficial so far: