Customer Experience

How good are UK insurers at successfully delivering the online customer experience?

Published on: February 13, 2013
Author: Epticablog

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...

Changing the skills mix in customer service

Published on: February 07, 2013
Author: Epticablog

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...

Banks vs retailers in credit card customer service

Published on: February 06, 2013
Author: Epticablog

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...

Measuring brands on social customer service

Published on: February 01, 2013
Author: Epticablog

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...

Banking on change

Published on: January 30, 2013
Author: Epticablog

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...

What are the top trends for customer service in 2013?

Published on: January 25, 2013
Author: Epticablog

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...

Snow joke – customer service and the weather

Published on: January 23, 2013
Author: Epticablog

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...

Embracing a digital future for insurance

Published on: January 18, 2013
Author: Epticablog

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...

The death of HMV and the online customer experience

Published on: January 16, 2013
Author: Epticablog

This has not been a good week for the High Street, with iconic music retailer HMV joining camera group Jessops in administration. It also marks a watershed moment when it comes to physical music and DVD retailing - after the disappearance of Zavvi and Woolworths, and Virgin France closing across the channel there are no longer any standalone chains of shops where you can pop in and pick up the lat...

New Year’s Resolutions for improving the customer experience

Published on: January 08, 2013
Author: Epticablog

As we enter 2013, it is a good time for companies (as well as individuals) to take stock of where they are and come up with New Year’s Resolutions. Commentators and analysts all agree that the customer experience is a vital part of business success, so what resolutions do you need to make to achieve it for your organisation?To help Eptica has come up with three key areas where you can focus ...

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