April 8, 2015
inContact, a leader in cloud-based call centers, has released the results of its new research detailing what customers experience when they interact with a contact center, and the findings are quite revealing.
Produced in collaboration with the leading research firm Harris Poll, the study was conducted to “gather insights directly from consumers about their online and phone purchases and service experiences during the busiest shopping months of the year,” which are typically August through January.
The 48-page report, available from inContact, highlighted some interesting points, including:
Consumers will pay more for a good reputation for service, but they are even more likely to switch brands after a poor service experience. “A large majority (86 percent) indicate that if they had a bad customer service experience, they would very likely switch to another company in the future,” the report notes, adding, “60 percent say that if they read a negative customer service review (in a review or on a social media site), they wouldn’t do business with that company.” The findings underscore the need for contact center agents to always be at their best.
More than seven in ten (72 percent) interacted with a company representative about their most expensive phone or online purchase totaling $25 or more before placing the order, during checkout, or before receiving it, whereas 29 percent interacted with a company representative after receiving their order. Once again, this highlights the importance of knowledgeable, sharp staff members.
Americans have high expectations of companies. About 86 percent expect companies to let them choose the method of follow-up or proactive communication (email, SMS/text, postal mail), and two-thirds (65 percent) expect companies to know their purchase history regardless of the method of communication (e.g., phone, chat, email).
Surprisingly, two-thirds of those surveyed (67 percent) said they would expect to be able to call the same company representative they had worked with previously regarding an order or service issue. That said, 64 percent would also expect to be able to continue speaking with the same company representative on the phone as they had been speaking with via online chat.
The survey was conducted online in the U.S. between January 29 and February 2 among 2,028 adults (aged 18 and older) by Harris Poll on behalf of inContact. The full report can be downloaded for free. .
