The Institute of Customer Service’s latest six monthly UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) reveals the lowest figures since 2010 – and marks the fourth consecutive fall in customer satisfaction levels.The overall Index fell from 76.3 in July 2014 to 76.0 in January 2015 – in January 2013 it was 78.2. No fewer than 58% of the organisations (113 brands) in UKCSI have seen their ...
As we’ve discussed in previous Eptica blog posts, companies need to be constantly innovating to meet the changing needs of consumers. Advanced technology, such as systems built on linguistics, which enable organisations to better understand the content and tone of digital interactions such as email, tweets and web chats, are therefore central to delivering a better experience and consequentl...
2014 was an extremely busy year in the customer experience market. The combination of more demanding consumers, new contact channels and increased regulation drove innovation and increased investment in customer service departments as organisations aimed to differentiate themselves from competitors and boost revenues. This increased focus translated into record numbers of visitors to the Epti...
For retailers, the peak Christmas trading period is fundamental to their revenues. However it is also the most competitive time, with everyone looking to increase their share of the £36.5 billion Britons were expected to spend on Christmas shopping. Add in that every year consumers are demanding more, and you can see how difficult it is to deliver the right experience to customers across eve...
The New Year always bring a plethora of predictions as companies and analysts look at what is likely to happen in the next twelve months across the customer experience market.
The rise of Millennial Generation - also known as Generation Y – is having a far reaching effect on how companies deliver customer service. If your company has not already started adapting to the requirements of this group, you might be in danger of being left behind. Born between the '80s to the 2000s the Millennials are characterized by a collection of core values and beliefs that...
A UK government taskforce has recommended larger fines for businesses that make nuisance calls to consumers. Fines should be up to £500,000 (or 20% of turnover in the case of PPI cold-callers), with company directors held responsible for unwanted phone calls from their organisation according to the report.The Nuisance Call Task Force has also suggested that the threshold for when regulators ...
A recent report from Hypatia Research Group highlights how Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software has become business critical to every organisation. However, the study, Next Generation CRM: All about Business Process Excellence points out a key issue with many existing CRM implementations. Essentially, while they act as a database for tracking customers, what they have bought and what th...
One of the most frustrating experiences for consumers is calling a company with a query and being met with a recorded message saying 'we are experiencing high call volumes at present, please hang up and try later'. Frustration can boil over into anger if they receive the same message on numerous occasions, particularly if it includes the advice to check the company website for information ...
With 144.8 billion emails sent every day, it continues to be a vital channel for customer service. Indeed, the rise of mobile devices, which allow consumers to quickly email wherever they are, means that the number of messages companies receive is actually growing.With many midsize organisations receiving over quarter of a million emails every year, coping with email customer service can be a stru...