I personally know from experience how frustrating it can be to try and get hold of a business when something goes wrong. Unless you happen to have a day off in the middle of the week, or your boss doesn’t mind giving you an hour to sit in a “call waiting” queue, it can seem practically impossible to get your issue solved. Clearly, I’m not the only one who feels this way. Around two-thirds of consumers in the UK say that they would like their customer service to be more “convenient” according to a recent study commissioned by West Unified Communications.
The research entitled “Customer Engagement – The Road to 2020” indicates that contact centres still aren’t giving their customers enough options when it comes to solving problems. While there are a handful of companies out there that give you the chance to get in touch over instant messaging, rather than making a phone call, contact centres still have a long way to go. Half the time, instant messaging seems to only be available for a couple of hours each day – which means you still don’t have a solution if you’re working from 9 till 6.
The Findings from West Unified Communications
The West Corporation is one of the biggest companies out there when it comes to tech-based communication services – so they know a thing or two about keeping people connected. Their research came from looking at 2,039 customer surveys issued to help provide a deeper insight into what the average consumer wants from their brand contact centre. According to West, about 74% of the customers found it annoying that customer service is only available during their standard working hours, while 47% said that they wanted more options to communicate with companies from their mobile.
On top of that, 46% of customers in the survey said that they expect issues to be solved within five minutes on a voice call or live-chat interaction. For other media, you have slightly longer, for instance, customers will wait up to one hour for a resolution over social media, SMS, or email.
The Customer Service Experience Needs to Change
It makes sense. We’re living in a world that’s faster-paced and more chaotic than ever before. People just don’t have the time to sit down and wait to speak to an agent in person – particularly not on a weekday between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm. Even if you did happen to have a day off, the chances are that you have better things to do than sort out a problem with your internet bill or tech supplier. West’s study shows that today’s call centres need to start re-thinking their approach to customer service, to not only make it more “omnichannel” but also more convenient too.
For instance, call centres could consider hiring different remote working teams to cover customer support at different times of the day. With cloud UC and collaboration – it’s much easier to create a dispersed yet connected workforce today.
Customers want to spend less time waiting in lines and more time getting things done. The modern world doesn’t have time for complicated customer service journeys. Instead, your consumers want to know that they can rely on you to be available when they need you and use the platforms that are best for them. If you can’t meet with those expectations, then you’re going to have trouble keeping your prospects close to home.
