Call centres ‘out of touch’ with consumers
dubai — Contact centres are becoming increasingly out of touch with today’s digital-savvy consumers whose customer experience is swayed largely by mobile phones, a study has found.
The study, which surveyed hundreds of contact centre managers and consumers globally, found that the consumers surveyed believe it takes six different interactions to resolve an issue, while the surveyed contact centre managers believe it takes only one to two touchpoints.
Customer experience with contact centres has worsened over the last two years despite investments in new engagement channels, said the study from BoldChat by LogMeIn and Ovum.
The study revealed that the disconnect could be largely due to the fact that 72 per cent of consumers surveyed search for information online before contacting an agent, but the majority of contact centre managers surveyed (52 per cent) do not track digital behaviour.
The increased disappointment with customer experience is threatening customer loyalty, sustainability and revenue growth: 82 per cent reported they would stop doing business with a company following a bad experience.
While 86 per cent of consumers reported using five-plus channels for support, 43 per cent of consumers noted that they believe access to agents has worsened over the last two years, with 50 per cent citing frustration with automated response systems.
Modes of resolution
While 68 per cent of participating consumers still believe phone calls provide the highest odds of resolution, 78 per cent would choose a channel other than voice if they were convinced a resolution on the first attempt would be likely. In line, 60 per cent of consumers reported wanting organisations to improve access to web support channels, including social media, communities and live chat.
“Today’s always-connected customer expects immediate access to information, and fast, efficient and frictionless service,” said David Campbell, vice-president, customer engagement and support solutions, LogMeIn.
Additionally, the report provides insights into how consumers prefer to engage with brands. These include increased adoption of live chat: The use of live chat has increased from 33 per cent in 2014 to 44 per cent today. Among the consumers interviewed, live chat ranked as the third-most popular way to resolve an issue and was viewed as the fastest way to get a response.
— issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com