The customer service black hole
The study surveyed 100 leading UK organisations in multiple sectors, analysing their ability to answer routine questions via their website and email channels. This ‘man in the street’ research mimics actual consumer behaviour to give real insight into the customer service process.
On average, performance is just that - average. Businesses can only answer half (50%) of customer questions asked on their websites with a similar number (48%) successfully responding to email queries. On average it took companies 20 hours and 41 minutes to answer an email query – but this masks a huge gulf between the fastest and slowest. One company successfully responded within a blistering 3 minutes, while another took a ponderous five days (120 hours) to answer.
Overall it shows that too many queries from customers are disappearing into a black hole – preventing their voices being heard or questions answered. And in an ever more challenging economy, the damage this does to brand reputation and in lost sales could mean the difference between success and failure for organisations.
Given the size and scope of the report, this is the first of a number of blog posts, picking out specific issues and providing feedback on how they can be addressed. To download your copy of the report, simply click here.
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