2014 state of multichannel customer service...

2014 State of Multichannel Customer Service Survey

a Microsoft Company

Parature, a Microsoft Company | www.parature.com

Table of Contents

2014 State of Multichannel Customer Service Survey

Introduction | Greater Choices, Greater Expectations ……………………………………………….………. 2

Methodology …………………………………………………………………………………………………......………………………. 3

Results ………………...........................………………………………………..…………………………....………….………………. 4

Some Things Never Change: Preferred Channels ………………………………….………..…………………… 4

Think Fast: Timeliness of Response is Key ........................................................................................ 5

Hold the Phone: Patience Only Goes So Far ……………………………………..…..…….……………………… 6

Convenience Drives: Preference Takes a Backseat …………....……………………………………………… 7

Searching for an Answer: The Channel You May Be Missing ……………….……………………………… 8

Defining Self-Service Success: Quality of Information is Vital ……………………………………..…….… 9

Going Social: The Voice of the Customer Emerges on a New Channel ………..………….………… 10

Great Expectations: Social Customer Service Response Times .................................................. 11

It’s About Time: What Really Matters to Customers ……………………………………..………………..……… 12

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow: When Customers Dump Brands Due to Service .................... 13

Customer Relationship Deal Breakers: Multichannel Frustrations ……………………………………… 14

Conclusions ………………………………….............…………………………………………………………….........……………. 15

About Parature ................................................................................................................................. 16

...................................................................

1


.............................Introduction

2

Customer service delivery channels are increasing and evolving at a dizzying pace. A recent Ovum study of more than 8,000 consumers shows that 74% now use at least three channels when interacting with an enterprise brand or organization for customer-related issues.

In addition to the number of customer service channels, customer expectations are also changing and increasing, which means customer-centric brands must operate in a constant state of evolution while maintaining a focus on serving the customer and their immediate needs.

As brands and organizations, we cannot control the rise of new customer service channels, so we must adapt to them with the challenge and goal being to deliver a consistent customer experience across every one.

This 2014 State of Multichannel Customer Service Survey shows that old channels are not going away; new channels such as social and mobile are now in play, and that some channels are decidedly more popular depending on the nature of a customer’s question or issue.

More importantly, the report looks at what consumers view currently as the most important aspects of the customer experience, as well as their top service and support frustrations. According to this survey, 65% have stopped using a brand’s products or services because of a poor customer service experience.

We still have a long way to go and a short time to get there in meeting and exceeding customer expections on a consistent basis. As we continue in the Age of the Customer, let’s be mindful from the top down on what we can do as individuals and brands to make each and every customer’s journey increasingly seamless and satisfying.

To continued success in customer care!

Co-founder, Parature


.............................Methodology

3

This 2014 State of Multichannel Customer Service Survey was conducted entirely online

using a third-party opt-in survey tool. Approximately 1,000 U.S. consumers were survyed,

equally divided between male and female and ranging in age from 18 - 79. The

respondents were also asked to answer several screening questions including household

income and number of customer service interactions completed during the past six months.

50%(Male)

50%(Female)

27%(18-29)

27%(30-39)

20%(40-49)

15%(50-59)

9%(60-69)

1% (70-79)

10%Less than $20K

11%$80K - $99,999

17%$60K - $79,999

22%$20K - $39,999

23%$40K - $59,999

Age Gender Income

$120K - $149,999$150K +

$100K - $119,999

8%

5%4%


...........................................................Some Things Never Change

The telephone remains the preferred method for requesting

customer service, with 43% of consumers choosing this channel.

Email (22%) and live chat (18%) came in second and third

respectively, showing that many consumers seeking support

value the ability to fully articulate their question or issue, and in

return, receive a personalized response from an agent.

EmailPhone Live Chat In Person Portal Social Community

43%

22%

18%

7% 7%

2% 1%

What is your preferred channel for seeking customer service?

4


..........................Time to Talk

Receiving a timely response is also seen as a benefit of

..telephone support. When asked what channel is preferred for

receiving an immediate customer service response, more than

half of those surveyed said the phone is their preferred method

(57%) with live chat coming in second at 24%, and all other

channels coming in far behind.

What channel would you use if you needed a fast or immediate response?

Live ChatPhone In Person Email Portal Social Community

57%

24%

6% 5% 4% 1% 1%

5


...............................Hold the Phone

While customers may be quick to pick up the phone, patience

with waiting on hold is measured in just minutes. Half of all

respondents are willing to wait on hold at least five minutes for

a customer service representative, but after that customer

satisfaction and patience begins dropping o� dramatically; only

a quarter will wait up to 10 minutes.

If you called a company on the phone for customer service, how long are you willingto wait on hold?

50%(1 - 5 min)

25%(5 - 10 min)

13%(as long as it takes)

7%(< 1 min)

4%(< 30 sec)

6


.......................................Convenience Drives

What device do you use most often to start orcomplete a customer service interaction?

While the telephone may still reign supreme for an immediate interaction, it’s not always the

channel of convenience, especially at work or after regular business hours. When asked

which device was used most to begin a customer service interaction, half of all respondents

said their request or search for customer assistance began online via the computer (either a

laptop or desktop). The channel of convenience many times drives interactions, while

channel preferences take a back seat.

Computer(laptop or desktop)

Telephone

Smartphone

Tablet

7


Searching for an Answer

Have you ever used a search engine to look foran answer to a customer service question?

There’s no doubt that a much overlooked channel for customer service is the search engines,

and the statistics in this report show this to be true. When asked if they had ever used a search

engine to look for an answer to a customer service question, an overwhelming majority (84%)

said they had. Consumers want to use self-service to find their own ansewrs; it’s on the

individual organziation or brand to provide the best information.

..............................................

84%Yes

16%No

8


Self-Service Success

If you knew both options would successfullymeet your customer service needs, which service option would you prefer to use?

When quality information is presented, the preference of self-service in comparison to

interacting with a live customer service agent increases. Forty percent (40%) of consumers

surveyed said they would prefer to use self-service if the option could successfully meet their

service or support needs, and 66% of those surveyed said they have used self-service

channels in the past year at least once; 33% more than three times.

........................................

60%(Customer

Service

Representative)

40%(Self-Service)

9


Going Social

If you think social customer service is just for complainers; that may not be the case. When consumers were asked if they

had ever asked a customer service question on social media, 35% said yes. In addition, 35% said they had used social

media to complain about a brand or its customer service. Yet 52% had used social media in a positive way, to praise a

brand. When asked if the company responded to their social interaction, 59% said yes. How did that a�ect the customer’s

view of the company? Fifty-one percent (51%) of those polled said a brand answering them on social media gave them

either a somewhat more or much more favorable view of the company.

..........................

35% 59%51%

Have complained

about a brand

on social

media

Said the brand

responded to their

complaint, question

or praise

Said that response

game them a

somewhat more or

much more favorable

view of the

brand

Have praised

a brand

on social

media

52%

10


Great Expectations

Customers have great expectations for social customer service, but perhaps not as

great as most of the intimidating response times we’ve read about in the media.

Thirty-eight percent (38%) of those polled expect a response in an hour or less; 29%

expect a response on social media within a day.

....................................

Within 24 hours

I don’t expect a response

Less than 30 minutes

Less than 1 hour

Within 48 hours

Within 5 minutes

29%

24%

16%

14%

8%

8%

11


It’s About Time

When it comes to the big picture, what really matters to customers? It’s about time. Forty-one percent

(41%) of consumers say getting their issue resolved quickly is the key to keeping them happy.

Getting this issue resolved in a single interaction is also an important factor with more than a quarter

of consumers choosing this as most important. That is followed by polite CSRs, note being passed

from agent to agent or channel to channel and not having to repeat themselves.

....................................

24%

26%

12%

11% |

7% |

What is the most important aspect of a goodcustomer service experience?

Getting my issue resolved quickly

Getting my issue resolved in a single interaction

Polite CSR

Not being passed from agent to agent

Not having to repeat myself or my issue

Being able to find answers on my own

41%

3% |12


Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Most customers are patient, but only for so long. When asked whether they

had ever stopped using a brand’s products or services because of a poor

customer experience, 65% said yes.

........................................................

Have you ever stopped using a brand or company’s productsor services because of a poor customer service experience?

65%Yes

35%No

13


Customer Relationship Dealbreakers

So what makes customers upset enough to leave for your closest competitor? Top customer frustrations include having

to contact a company multiple times for the same reason (47%), being passed from agent to agent (43%), and impolite

customer service representatives (37%). But there are plenty more frustrations where that came from as seen below. A

strong write-in vote also came from not being able to understand the customer service representative due to poor

language skills or a heavy accent.

What are the most frustrating aspects of a poor customer service experience?

.....................................................................

35%

24% |

37%

33%

47%

43%

24% |

23% |

11% |

4%

Having to contact a company multiple times for the same reason

Being passed from agent to agent

Impolite customer service representative

Being put on hold for a long period

CSR, self-service that cannot answer my questions

Being told you will have to take another action to resolve your issue

CSRs not calling back, following up as promised

Inability to reach a customer service representative on an IVR

Lack of online information or support channels

Other | (write-ins include not being able to understand CSR, inexperienced/uninformed agents)14


Conclusions............................

15

While there are many individual customer service channel statistics to be gleaned from this survey, there many more overall takeaways

we can learn from and apply to improving customer service interactions at every touchpoint and across the customer journey:

1. While buzzwords and industry talk many focus on the “shiny objects” in multichannel customer care including social media and mobile,

we cannot forget about the tried and true channels such as phone, email and live chat that customers use when they need immediate

and personalized help. They aren’t going away any time soon, so o�ering responsive service no matter what the touchpoint is incredibly

important.

2. Consistent and responsive service across channels is key. Customers don’t want to have to repeat themselves on one channel or

across many, or be passed from channel to channel or rep to rep to complete a transaction. It’s a

top frustration as seen in this report, so as brands, we must break down the silos across individual

customer care channels and ensure that real-time customer data and interaction information flows

seamlessly across them.

3. Speed of service should be a focus, but not speed of getting a customer o� the phone or

closing out a ticket if their issue remains or if they’re not completely satisfied with the experience.

As a customer care community, we must revisit the metrics we use to measure success and stop

passing the buck and the customer to someone else. Expectations and frustrations are continuing

to grow. Let’s focus our e�orts on both to reduce the latter.

This is the Age of the Customer, where each interaction can make or break a brand. Let’s take the

initiative to be more customer-centric across our organizations to improve customer acquisition,

retention and advocacy.

About Parature...............................Parature, a Microsoft company, empowers mid-market to

enterprise organizations across all major industries to centralize

their customer service and engagement processes and deliver a

seamless customer experience across all major channels,

including phone, email, online support portal, ticketing, live chat,

social, mobile and web self-service.

With powerful feedback and reporting tools,

Parature provides the ultimate tool for customer

service teams, delivering a real-time,

360-degree view of customer with easy-to-use

yet detailed reporting that both proves and

improves customer service e�ectiveness and

e�ciency. Parature’s integration with Microsoft

Dynamics CRM allows brands and

organizations to deliver impressive end-to-end

customer engagement. For more information,

visit www.parature.com.

http://www.twitter.com/parature

http://www.parature.com/feed

http://www.linkedin.com/company/parature

https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/104490260456468006983/+Parature1

http://www.facebook.com/parature

https://www.pinterest.com/parature/

https://www.youtube.com/user/ParatureInc

http://www.parature.com

2014 state of multichannel customer service...

Documents