Having immediate access to help is often taken for granted until customers around the world need it all at once. Disasters, whether they be pandemic, extreme weather or other disruptions to business and life tend to exacerbate any flaws already lingering in a process.
Over 2,000 consumers in the U.S. and U.K. have been surveyed to find out how they’re faring with customer service interactions. This can help companies prioritize how they can best serve customers during and beyond this pandemic.
We looked into the channels which had been served during the crises, in the UK 57% have been using voice and phone compared to 10.5% by Text message, 9.8% direct chat, 9.7% by email, 7.5% via social channels, and 4.8% via video conferencing. In the US it looked only a little different, more people have been addressed by text 17.6% and direct messaging/chat 10%.
Consumers Are Craving a Human Touch in Customer Service
Respondents cite having an “opportunity to speak to a human agent” as one of the top three requirements for ensuring they leave a customer service interaction happy stated 39.1% percent in UK and 37.8% in the US.
I, the UK 44.3% of consumers say they wish brands would be more transparent about “how to get help from a human.”, while in the US only 43.8%.
It makes sense why, of the respondents who were disappointed by a brand over the past year – 28.1 % of US and 23.6% of UK consumers; chalk this up to not being able to reach a human agent. And, just over 17% of US and UK consumers were disappointed in the inability of chatbots to resolve their issues.
Beyond just reaching a human agent, 37.5% of US consumers and 30.3% of UK consumers say “working with a friendly agent” is another major factor in leaving a customer service interaction happy.
Can you hear me?
Only 1/4 of US and UK customers fill out a survey to tell companies when they’ve had a negative experience.
68.7% of UK consumers, who fill out customer satisfaction surveys, don’t feel like they make a difference in improving customer service, in the US 59.1% think the same.
Creating Stress-Free Customer Interactions
52.9% of US consumers can say they’ve been disappointed by a customer service interaction in the past year, and in the UK also 43.8%.
Consumers want their issues resolved faster likewise in the US (24.6%) as also in the UK (23.9%). 1/5 of U.S. and U.K. consumers don’t want to have to repeat information multiple times and more than 1 /4 don’t want to speak with multiple agents. Over 20 percent of consumers say scripted/non-personalized interactions aren’t cutting it.
Customers also want more transparency in repair or issue resolution, timelines, returns & refunds process, how they’re using my data, the authenticity of customer reviews, and shipping times.
Data Privacy Is a Key Concern
61.2% of UK consumers think companies need more government oversight to protect data privacy, while US consumers see it more relaxed only 30.7% mention this as a concern.
When looking back on their customer service interactions over the past year, most consumers in both countries don’t feel confident in the safety of their data.
The below infographic which is highlighting more statistics and details was put together by CGS headquartered out of New York. CGS is wholly focused on creating comprehensive solutions that meet clients’ complex, multi-dimensional needs and support clients’ most fundamental business activities.
Recent Comments