Most British consumers (89 percent) are likely to tell the organisations they do business with if they receive poor service, yet almost half (44 percent) do not believe they take notice of, or really care about, the feedback shared, according to a new study.
The study, published by Customer Contact Association (CCA) and sponsored by Verint Systems, is based on parallel surveys of UK consumers and CCA member organisations.
It indicates that social media is widely seen by consumers as an effective means for people to discuss their experiences, good and bad, and compel organisations to take action.
Forty-six percent say they are likely to voice their dissatisfaction through social media.
Further, approaching half (46 percent) of consumers agree that “social media can hold brands and organisations to account like never before.”
However, a third of CCA member organisations polled indicate they overlook social media completely with most respondents reporting that they look at less than two percent of customer interactions across these web-based channels.
Further, 62 percent of business respondents admit they would benefit from a better understanding of what their customers say on social media.
Listening in the Wrong Places
The study also uncovers gaps between where consumers communicate and how organisations listen. Nearly four organisations out of five regularly monitor complaints, while 70 percent regularly monitor calls handled in the contact centre.
For consumers surveyed, the most widely-used means of providing feedback direct to organisations is by post or email, with 44 percent of respondents citing this as their preferred route.
Yet 65 percent of organisations surveyed report they refer to less than one quarter of the emails they receive for customer insight. For letters, the proportion rockets to 75 percent.
Additionally, contact centre agents’ own notes are largely overlooked — just one third of the businesses surveyed say they regularly refer to these information sources for customer insight.
Information sources consistently referred to for customer insight
Addressing the Expectations of Younger Consumers
The popularity of social media with 16-24 year-olds highlights another gap in how organisations listen and respond. Two thirds of this age group report that they use social media to talk about bad experiences, and 61 percent discuss positive experiences here. More than half (59 percent) of all consumers agreed that brands should use what people say on social media to improve their service — an indication, perhaps, that organisations are still struggling to formulate a coherent strategy here.
David Parcell, Verint Managing Director and Corporate Officer EMEA, says, “The CCA and Verint study shows organisations are making efforts to understand what their customers tell them. It’s encouraging to see organisations using surveys, for example, to gauge customer satisfaction. However, given all the ways in which consumers discuss their experiences, surveys are just the tip of the iceberg. Below the waterline, there is a huge amount of untapped information in recorded phone calls, emails, conversations on social media and even employees’ own notes — all of which can provide organisations with a true voice of the customer. Today, many leading brands are at the forefront of analysing the voices of their customers with great precision.”
Anne-Marie Forsyth, Chief Executive, Customer Contact Association comments, “Organisations are devoting much time and effort to responding to the voice of the customer but operating in a multi-channel environment requires a fresh approach. We need to apply new intelligent monitoring techniques if we are to prevent valuable insight from slipping through the cracks. Consumers, particularly younger ones, are far more likely to turn to Facebook than pick up a phone to make their views known. Those that do will stand the best chance of courting and keeping the customers of the future but also the brand ambassadors of the future.”
“One Step Closer to Customers—The Challenge of Understanding Multi-Channel Interactions”
Survey Methodology
The CCA-Verint research was conducted via the Contact Centre Association member organisation database and among 2,029 British consumers aged 16-64. General consumers were interviewed online using Ipsos Interactive Panels Online Omnibus. Fieldwork took place over two weekends: 9-11 September 2011 and 16-18 September 2011. In addition to the consumer poll, 107 respondents from Customer Contact Association member organisations completed the questionnaire.
Source:
www.cca-global.com
www.verint.com
Follow Netimperative on Twitter
