While the peak season for retailers isn’t yet over, many companies are already taking stock and looking at their performance, as well as studying the wider trends that emerged in the run up to Christmas 2015.The positive news is that overall spending in the US was up by nearly 8%, according to figures from MasterCard. However, not every retailer will have felt the benefit...
As we enter 2016, I’m already seeing plenty of predictions about what the year will bring for the customer experience and customer service markets. However, before exploring some of these trends in future blog posts, I’d like to take the opportunity to review 2015 – specifically some of the most popular topics covered by the Eptica blog.Looking through the posts that had the most...
With the holidays now nearly upon us, spare a thought for customer service teams who have to keep working right up to, and through, Christmas itself. For retailers, the gap between fulfilling last minute orders and the start of the sales is now measured in hours, while consumer electronics manufacturers have to be ready to deal with any queries from customers trying to get their new...
Customer satisfaction is key to success in every industry across Asia Pacific, but in few places is it as visible as the hospitality sector. The service a consumer receives contributes a large part of the experience in a restaurant, hotel or attraction – meaning it can make the difference between a satisfied customer and one that will never return. Additionally, in the age of social media an...
Telecoms has always been important at Christmas, with families and friends keeping in touch by telephone for many years. However, the rise of superfast broadband, social media, IP telephony and on-demand/pay-TV services mean that it is now an essential part of the Christmas experience for the majority of families. Whether it is watching sport on satellite TV, downloading the latest music...
Housing demographics are changing across the world, driven by longer lives and the increasing cost of getting onto the property ladder. In the United States 4 out of 5 households don’t fit the traditional mold of two parents and pre-college kids, with a growing number containing multiple generations, such as grandparents or boomerang children that have left, then returned home...
As every retailer knows, a good Christmas can make the difference between success and failure. This is particularly true in the UK, with research from ING finding that Britons are the most generous present purchasers in the world, and expect to spend an average of £294 (US$446) on gifts this Christmas. By contrast American shoppers are aiming to spend £250 ($38...
We’re now into the busiest time of year for retail, with contact centers facing huge volumes of incoming queries from consumers on the phone, email, Twitter, Facebook and chat channels. This means that even if companies deploy effective web self-service systems to provide consumers with fast, consistent answers to their most commonly asked questions...
Increased competition and ever more demanding consumers mean that organizations across the Asia Pacific region need to focus on continually improving the customer experience that they offer. However, given the complexity of today’s multichannel world, knowing where to begin with customer experience can appear daunting. Jeff Rajeck, APAC research analyst at Econsultancy, recently published...
With so much money spent at this time of year, the Holiday period is crucial for retailers. In today’s competitive industry, a good Christmas can literally mean the difference between survival and going bankrupt. But getting it right isn’t easy – the internet has greatly increased competition, putting pressure on prices, while consumer demands are ever increasing. They ...