…this is because British consumers have higher levels of expectations. For companies, this customer dissatisfaction can imply a direct loss of turnover.

• Many British are not convinced by the quality of many company call centres.
• Their opinion is also reflected in very low rankings for the banking and credit industries.
• Only one in three British customers (only 29 per cent) are inclined to rate the telephone services offered by money institutes highly. In comparison, 40 per cent of all consumers in Germany are satisfied with the telephone banking services on offer in their country.
• Does this simply imply that British expectations are more difficult to meet than other Europeans? Or does it actually mean that call centres on the continent are better?
• The answers to this can be found in a current study undertaken by Maritz Research, a leading market research company.

Where the British make complaints, continental Europeans are seeking information

• It is indeed a fact that the British have higher expectations from a bank’s call centres than other Europeans.
• In contrast, German consumers will phone a call centre to obtain general information concerning products and services.
• Due to the differing reasons for calling, it is not surprising then that 81 per cent of Germans will receive an answer to their question on the telephone, while only 60 per cent of British customers will have solved their problem at the end of such a telephone conversation.

It’s not what you say but how you say it – this is something often lacking in the UK

• Despite this, British call centres should also be able to satisfy even their more difficult customers.
• Only one in three British customers (36 per cent) feel their needs have been adequately addressed by service representatives. This is in comparison to Germany where it is every second person (47 per cent).
• A multitude of new technologies in market research and tailor-made employee training options can provide a reliable method to improve the customer experience on the telephone.
• These will have a direct positive influence on company business results:

Happy customers will buy on the phone

• Germans - just like Britons - will be rather sceptical towards sales calls at the outset.
• Nonetheless, they are generally more open towards offers from banks when compared to British contemporaries: 76 per cent of Germans will at least listen to an offer made. In contrast, only 66 per cent of Britons are willing to take the time to do this.
• As a result, satisfied customers are worth investing in – and every penny that will lead to this satisfaction is worthwhile. This is particularly true in the call centre industry.
• By the way, automated telephone answering systems have so far not proven to be the ultimate solution. 16 per cent of Germans and only 12 per cent of Britons are content with these systems.