A new survey shows that consumers are fed up with poor customer engagement experiences and outdated approaches to customer service, with 68 percent noting they would buy more from brands that put service back in customer service. Most consumers polled said that the ability to connect immediately to the relevant associate, interact via digital channels such as HD voice, video and/or screen sharing, and to receive contextual, personalised service, would increase convenience and improve their overall experience. The Oracle Communications survey, "Modern Experiences for Connected Consumers: Creating Digital Customer Engagement" showed that brands that are able to quickly capitalise on this shift can expect a 25 to 30 percent increase in loyalty from their customers.
“Customers are a company’s most critical asset, but in a quest for efficiency, customer engagement has become less aware and overly impersonal,” said Doug Suriano, senior vice president, general manager, Oracle Communications.
“Modern engagement technologies that proactively engage customers at the right time across web and mobile using contextual voice, video and screen sharing, or that can transition a chatbot conversation to live assistance coupled with machine learning and AI, have the ability to transform how customers interact with their brands —delivering meaningful resolutions with the personal touch that customers desire.”
The survey also found that of the consumers polled:
- 75 percent: Perceive that modern engagement capabilities will enhance their experience
- 79 percent: Want their issues to be resolved in one interaction
- 76 percent: Will use a company that can minimise menu selections and get them to the right individual quickly
- 68 percent: Felt modern engagement capabilities expanded their options for interacting with brands, helping make engagements contextual
- 75 percent: Recognise the value and efficiency of voice and video chat
To learn more about the survey, download the Infographic
Modern Engagement Technologies Improve Experiences and ROI
The survey polled 5,028 consumers across regions and industries to understand their sentiment on modern customer engagement. The results highlighted the critical need to modernise and personalise customer engagement. For example, 51 percent of those polled cited long wait times and 41 percent cited unresolved issues as the top reasons for an unsatisfactory experience. Seventy-seven percent noted that these kinds of experiences detracted from their quality of life.
The survey also showed that consumers are becoming more comfortable interacting across a growing list of digital channels that can offer a more streamlined, personal and high-touch approach. Consumers recognise the value and efficiency of these new mediums in shortening time to resolutions, addressing problems, or adopting new services, such as opening a new banking account digitally.
However, the efficiency and simplicity that can come from automated digital engagement channels did not mitigate consumers’ desire for — and the perceived value of — human intuition. Customers instead indicated that blending automated technologies with emerging mechanisms for in-app brand interactions that personalise interactions, including video, screen sharing, chat and other contextual voice communications, will deliver the degree of personal contact they are seeking.