Route 101 and CCMA Reveal UK Consumer Behaviours

CCMA has published new research examining how UK consumers interact with organizations and share customer service experiences.

Conducted with support from Route 101, the study surveyed 2,000 UK adults and identified key trends in communication preferences, technology attitudes, and customer feedback behaviour.

On the findings and how they impact organizational thinking around customer contact, Leigh Hopwood, CEO of the CCMA, said: “We are not all the same and the most sophisticated organizations have long understood this when it comes to product development and marketing.

“There is an ever-increasing awareness of this in customer contact too, with people’s behaviours, preferences, and willingness to share feedback varying enormously.

As technology makes personalization increasingly achievable, it becomes incumbent on organizations to understand who their customers actually are and start designing meaningfully different contact experiences for them. These personas give providers a practical foundation for doing exactly that.”

The research found that email is now the preferred channel for routine customer service queries and unsolicited feedback, while phone remains the leading choice for complex or urgent issues.

Consumers were also more likely to publicly share positive customer experiences than negative ones, with review platforms emerging as the most common outlet.

The study identified five distinct customer contact personas that were developed using a cluster analysis of 56 variables, revealing meaningful differences in how each group approaches every aspect of customer contact.

The personas identified were:

• Efficiency Optimisers
• Knowledge Gatherers
• Experience Enthusiasts
• Simplicity Seekers
• Tradition Maintainers

Each group demonstrated different preferences around communication channels, service expectations, and attitudes towards technology and AI.

With the creation of these personas providing a practical framework for design, Russell Attwood, CEO at Route 101, stated: “What is particularly powerful about these insights is the emphasis that one size does not fit all.

The findings show that technology and automation are welcomed, but only when they are purposeful, transparent and supportive of human interaction.

Equally, they underline the continued importance of voice, especially in urgent or emotionally charged moments, alongside growing appreciation of self-service and digital channels too.”

The findings also highlighted mixed sentiment towards AI in customer service, with opinions evenly divided between positive and negative perceptions. The report suggests organizations are increasingly expected to tailor customer contact strategies to different consumer behaviours and expectations.

You can download a copy of the research findings here.

For more information about Route 101 - visit the Route 101 Website

About Route 101

Route 101 is an award-winning technology systems integrator, delivering market-leading cloud contact centre and customer engagement software and solutions. Its products and services help clients to transform their customer engagement, support and empower their workforce, and boost their business operations.

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Author: Robyn Coppell
Reviewed by: Jo Robinson