79% of Customers Talk to More Than One Agent

706
Filed under - Archived Content,

79% of UK consumers contact between two and five people before getting a single complaint resolved.

The survey, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Interactive Intelligence, also found that 42% of those consumers questioned had to wait longer than 20 minutes in a phone queue, with a small percentage even queuing for two hours or more.

More than half of those questioned (54%) said they now preferred to use email as a method of contact rather than the telephone (37%) – and if they did phone a company, the biggest negative factor of the experience was queuing (60%).

When asked about specific industries, the consumers surveyed rated utilities (27%) and telecoms (26%) as the worst performing. The most negative traits were seen as being passed from department to department, not being able to understand the agent and being cut off completely.

The sector that provided the best experience for solving customer complaints was retail, with consumers voting for the ‘quick solutions’ and ‘good mannered agents’ from some of Britain’s most well-known retailers.

Dave Paulding

“The survey highlights the importance of focusing on key elements of customer service, such as answering complaints quickly and efficiently, whether that is on the telephone or via a social media channel,” said Dave Paulding at Interactive Intelligence. “The fact that more people are turning to email is both a sign of the times and a reflection that consumers across the UK have simply become fed up of hanging on the telephone.”

For information about Interactive Intelligence, visit their website.

Author: Megan Jones

Published On: 18th Feb 2015 - Last modified: 18th Dec 2018
Read more about - Archived Content,

Follow Us on LinkedIn