Many companies today offer the kind of customer service they think their customers want. Unfortunately, there is often a huge disconnect between what companies think customers need and what customers actually want and need. A smart customer support provider will ask questions when building a system: What are the customer service expectations and preferences of consumers and the IT professionals who work for companies that provide services?
This is precisely what a study commissioned by Interactive Intelligence, a provider of contact center and unified communications solutions, and conducted by the independent research firm Actionable Research sought to answer. In an era of multichannel customer service, these are important questions to ask: companies may be wasting resources on channels that customers don’t want, while neglecting channels that customers do demand.
“This survey revealed many interesting differences between the attitudes of consumers and IT professionals,” said Joe Staples, chief marketing officer at Interactive Intelligence, in a statement. “For instance, while 61 percent of IT professionals found interactive voice response to be a valuable service, only 37 percent of consumers did. These types of findings are the first step toward better aligning the expectations of those receiving and providing service.”
Many companies are so focused on secondary channels that they forget customers still prefer the phone and expect the highest level of support through that channel. The study found that 51 percent of customers still prefer speaking with an agent over the phone to all other channels. The study also found that customers consider a timely response to be one of the most important factors in ensuring a positive customer experience.
When it comes to customer pain points, the two biggest were not being able to understand the agent—which is particularly significant for companies that try to save money by outsourcing to foreign countries—and a condescending attitude on the part of the agent. These two factors tied for first place on the list: 74 percent of customers cited language barriers and unpleasant agents as the factors most likely to drive them away.
Today, it’s more critical than ever to get these things right. Sixty-two percent of customers said they would look for an alternative vendor if their customer support needs are not met to their satisfaction. On the positive side, 64 percent of customers said they tell others when they have a positive customer service experience, and they are more likely to share a positive experience than a negative one on social media.
But as with any other business function, a one-size-fits-all approach never works in a contact center environment. What works for one company may not work for another, especially if the two organizations have different customer bases. The only way to be sure you are providing customers with what they want and need is to simply ask them. Making assumptions could be the downfall of the business.
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