LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#cloud–Research reveals over half (56%) of Brits would stop shopping with a
brand if they experienced slow customer service. That is according to 8×8,
a leading cloud provider of voice, video, chat and contact centre
solutions for over one million users worldwide, who recently
commissioned a survey of 2,000 adults in the UK.
This is a widespread issue – nearly two-thirds (64%) of people have been
frustrated at the length of time it has taken a customer service team at
a company to solve a problem.
The time it takes to reach someone is the most common reason customers
lose patience with a customer service team (36%) followed by having to
wait to get their query resolved (30%). Easy access to contact
information is also a key factor, as a quarter (25%) have lost patience
by having to wade through too many screening questions in order to
access contact information.
When asked about the types of businesses they are most likely to lose
patience with, customers named utilities and telecom firms in the top
spot (33%), followed by retail (24%), and local Government (21%). This
suggests that organisations in these sectors are at the greatest risk of
losing customers to slow service.
To help them get an answer quickly and easily, 78% of consumers expect
companies to provide access to their customer service team via multiple
channels, such as phone, email, webchat, and social media. Despite this,
it is still common for companies to only offer a single communications
channel for customers to contact them on. One in five customers (19%)
have dealt with a company that only offered a phone number, and 11%
encountered webchat-only.
Mary Ellen Genovese, Managing Director of European Operations, 8×8,
said: “It’s clear that customers have little patience for slow
service and, when frustrated, won’t hesitate to take their business
elsewhere.
“This isn’t just over established channels such as phone and email, but
across webchat and social media too. By using the latest technology to
bring all communications channels into one platform, companies can
ensure customer queries are resolved quickly, and in one interaction –
whether that’s using analytics to pinpoint bottlenecks, or allowing
agents to collaborate instantly with the right experts internally to get
answers for customers.”
The research also reveals that customers expect traditional channels to
deliver a faster response rate than online options. When asked which
customer service platforms they lose patience with the most, 37% said
phone, compared to just 12% for email and 10% for live chat.
Note to editors
Methodology
Unless stated otherwise, all research conducted by Censuswide on behalf
of 8×8 surveying a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults.
Research carried out between 18.04.2019 and 23.04.2019.
About 8×8, Inc.
8×8, Inc. (NYSE: EGHT) cloud solutions help businesses transform their
customer and employee experience. With one system of engagement for
voice, video, chat and contact center and one system of intelligence on
one technology platform, businesses can now communicate faster and
smarter to exceed the speed of customer expectations. For additional
information, visit www.8×8.com, or
follow 8×8 on LinkedIn,
Twitter, and Facebook.
Contacts
Sam Clayton / Seb Holland
0207 924 5656
8×[email protected]
