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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
In the run up to Christmas shoppers naturally expect a high level of customer service from retailers. In store they want helpful staff, sufficient stock and no queues at the checkouts. Online they want a straightforward ordering process, a clear acknowledgement of their purchase and to be kept informed about delivery progress.As we’ve already found not all retailers are managing to provide t...
Given that we’re less than a week from the big day, we’ve spent some time looking at the customer service practices of Father Christmas himself. While this might risk us not getting any presents here at Eptica, what lessons can those running customer service departments learn from the man in red?We’re rated Father Christmas against some common customer service benchmarks to see h...