With the discovery of horse meat within a number of processed foods, it is no exaggeration to say that the European food industry is facing one of its biggest challenges since the BSE epidemic. While horse meat itself is safe to eat (unless the horse had been treated with particular drugs), consumers believed they were buying beef-based ready meals and burgers from reputable suppliers and supermar...
Insurance is an industry that has been radically changed by the rise of the internet. The move online has increased competition, particularly with the growth of price comparison sites which have slashed margins and made customer loyalty a thing of the past. But moving to this new, multichannel, customer-centric and low margin world is proving to be a major struggle for many insurers still hampered...
When contact centres first opened they focused overwhelmingly on the telephone channel – indeed most were referred to as call centres for that very reason. As customer service has developed and become multichannel, email, web, chat and now social media have been added to the customer service mix, all normally handled by the same contact centre.However, the growth of multichannel service does...
There are many similarities between banks and retailers. Both sectors have large, geographically spread branch/shop networks, and in many cases are facing the same challenge of balancing online and offline channels to meet changing consumer needs.As part of their strategy retailers have aggressively been moving into new markets – offering everything from insurance, bank accounts and telecoms...
The need for customer service teams to embrace social media is growing, as more and more consumers use the likes of Twitter and Facebook to ask questions, complain and share their experiences of brands. In our own research we’ve seen that more and more UK companies are now making social media part of their strategy. The 2012 Eptica Multichannel Customer Experience Study found that 70% and 64...
The UK banking industry has often been criticised for complexity, high charges and poor choice for consumers. From misselling Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) to IT problems at RBS/NatWest there have been a steady stream of issues that have weakened consumer confidence in the banking sector.Many have pointed to a lack of choice and the perceived difficulty of switching accounts as being responsi...
As we’re now well into January, commentators are releasing a growing number of predictions for the customer service market in 2013.The latest is from industry analysts Forrester. While its full trend report will be published later in the month, it has released a sneak preview of where it sees the customer service industry going this year.Essentially it revolves around three areas:The need to...
The current wintry conditions are leading to treacherous driving conditions, travel disruption and the closure of thousands of schools across the UK. It is also having a major impact on customer service. Contact centres are receiving an increased volume of calls, emails and tweets from consumers looking for information, complaining about delays and seeking help.The weather doesn’t just impac...
Insurance is a sector that has seen dramatic change over the past five years. The rise of the internet and price comparison sites has transformed the landscape. Insurers are now having to live with diminishing margins and customers that shop around as a matter of course when their policies come to an end. Add to this that many insurers are struggling with inefficient technology and processes and y...
Train operators are often the target of complaints of poor customer service. Indeed, the Eptica Social Customer Service Study found that 14% of those in the South East had taken to social media to criticise train companies. Add in recent, above inflation, fare rises and record numbers of passengers leading to overcrowding on some routes and you can see why many commuters are unhappy with the servi...