The technology behind better managing customer interactions is now a top 10 priority for CIOs, according to a new survey from Gartner. This rise up the rankings is being driven by a focus on improving the customer experience, particularly in the current recession, as well as the growing need to factor social media into company strategies. There’s also a major growth in the deployment of cust...
In the past the UK utility industry has had a poor reputation for customer service. This has led to tough action from regulator Ofgem, for example fining npower £2 million and British Gas £2.5m for mishandling customer complaints in 2011.This week the government launched a new raft of planned measures that will tighten protection for consumers even further. These include direct compens...
Online retail is becoming ever more competitive, meaning that for retailers the experience and service they provide for their customers is crucial to winning and retaining business.So new research from Experian should act as a wake-up call to ecommerce companies. It found that an estimated £1.02bn of online shopping transactions were abandoned by UK consumers in 2011, with 20% giving up on t...
From the BBC iPlayer to YouTube, video is one of the fastest growing ways for consumers to access content on the web. Faster broadband connection speeds and wifi on mobiles make video simple and quick to view wherever we may be.Part of the reason for the growth of video is the power it has to get a message across in a highly visual, simple to understand manner. This makes it perfect for customer s...
There have already been a lot of predictions that 2012 will be a key year for customer service, with Forrester amongst those that see it as a major strategic priority for businesses. News this week from Microsoft seems to back up this trend. It is partnering with a Silicon Valley company called 24/7, which specialises in using data analytics to predict what customers want. Microsoft is both i...
Everyone knows that the current economic climate is difficult, with consumer spending down and competition increasing, whatever sector you are in. So, in this context Eptica’s results, with double digit revenue growth, demonstrate the success of our approach and the strength of our technology.Eptica’s consolidated turnover grew by 20% to $US 9 million (£5.67m), helped by signing ...
When it comes to customer service and social media it is very easy to focus on the potential issues it causes for brands. Aggrieved customers can now complain quickly and vociferously to the entire world if they have a bad experience, with tweets or Facebook posts going viral in a matter of minutes. However there is another side to social customer service, where companies are using these channels ...
Despite the increased focus on customer service, it is actually getting worse in the UK. That’s the depressing headline of a new survey, which found that two thirds (66%) of UK homeowners think customer service has either stayed the same or deteriorated over the last three years. 1,400 people were surveyed, with only 25% seeing an improvement in standards.According to the YouGov survey carri...
Travel is a sector that has undergone major change in the last decade, with a combination of the internet and low cost airlines dramatically increasing competition and ensuring that companies have to focus on customer service to survive.In this tough climate, AirAsia is the perfect example of a company that is growing fast by understanding and responding to customer needs. By deploying Eptica Self...
Surveys show that the current recession is increasing debt amongst Britons. Research shows that nearly half (46%) of the population have some sort of non-mortgage debt or arrears, with those aged between 25-34 struggling most with their finances.Against this backdrop what is interesting is that more and more people want to be able to manage their debts, and repay money online or via mobile devices...