Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
More than a third of consumers have switched suppliers as a result of bad service, and three in 10 have not signed up to a service because of the bad customer service they received initially.
That is according to a new survey of 1,400 consumers conducted on behalf of intuitive consumer experience company [24]7, which also showed that 51% of respondents felt frustrated when companies did not know who they were or what their issue was, despite having already had contact with them via another channel.
“Consumers are now saying ‘enough is enough’ and are willing to change providers if a service doesn’t meet their expectations,” said Mike Hughes, European managing director of [24]7. “Bad service is costing firms customers and cash, and organisations need to better understand what constitutes good customer service.”
Thirty-five per cent of respondents said that they frequently felt dissatisfied with the customer service they received, showing that many brands have work to do in delivering a better customer experience. And older people are less tolerant of poor customer service: the figure rose to more than four in 10 amongst those aged 65 or over.
“The world has changed for customers and they demand that companies know who they are, what they want, and how they want to be served,” Hughes went on. “Customer service and the multi-channel experience are essential. Brands risk alienating their customers to the point that they take their business elsewhere.
“Consumers use their mobile, online, social media, and web chat when interacting with customer service teams and they expect smart, integrated service across all channels. They don’t want to constantly repeat their issues, and expect prompt resolution.”
