Serenova, a contact centre company with a focus on simplifying and streamlining communications, recently released findings from a new study. During a customer experience survey, Serenova discovered that today’s organisations are not delivering the incredible customer experiences that their clients want. Up to 77% of survey respondents have reported bad experiences within the last year alone. What’s more, two-thirds of the consumers said that they would not purchase from the same company again following a bad experience.
Serenova’s “State of the Brand” study measures the sentiment of customers when it comes to experiences with business across the UK and USA. To conduct the research, an independent tech market specialist, Vanson Bourne was commissioned to interview 1,000 UK consumers and 2,000 US respondents. 80% of the group said that they don’t have a seamless experience across channels with a brand.
Customer Service Not Up to Scratch
Unfortunately, despite a rising focus on customer experience in recent years, the study suggests that businesses are still struggling to meet consumer demands. 3 out of 4 of the respondents in the study said that a knowledgeable staff member enhanced their customer experience. However, around 2 fifths of survey respondents also encountered a varying speed of service from an organisation, depending on the channel used for interactions. Ultimately, it seems that agents don’t have the tools that they need to support their customers on any channel.
The CMO of Serenova, Michelle Burrows, said that the latest survey demonstrates how much customer service still needs to evolve. 96% of the respondents said that they would act after having a bad experience, which could mean anything from negative reviews to boycotting a brand. In today’s highly social world, getting experience right is crucial. Businesses can’t afford to put their reputation at risk.
However, to achieve better contact centre experiences, organisations may need to invest more time and money into giving companies the tools that they need. With context of past interactions, it’s easier to understand what needs to be done to help a client.
Embracing a New Kind of Contact Centre
According to the Serenova study, there are areas where companies can begin to develop a better insight into their issues with employee experience. Currently, most customers use digital channels to interact with brands. 90% tune in through a digital marketplace or seller’s website, while 55% use a mobile application.
73% of respondents also say that it’s crucial for brands to deliver a seamless experience across a number of channels. In terms of what constitutes “bad” customer experience, respondents named things like rude staff (79%), lack of knowledge (64%), and spending too long on hold (59%).
Read through the complete Serenova report here, and let us know your thoughts on the issues with customer experience in the comments below.
