I personally know from experience how frustrating it can be to try and get hold of a business when something goes wrong. Unless you happen to have a day off in the middle of the week, or your boss doesn't mind giving you an hour to sit in a "call waiting" queue, it can seem practically impossible to get your issue solved. Clearly, I'm not the only one who feels this way. Around two-thirds of consumers in the UK say that they would like their customer service to be more "convenient" according to a recent study commissioned by West Unified Communications.
The research entitled "Customer Engagement - The Road to 2020" indicates that contact centres still aren't giving their customers enough options when it comes to solving problems. While there are a handful of companies out there that give you the chance to get in touch over instant messaging, rather than making a phone call, contact centres still have a long way to go. Half the time, instant messaging seems to only be available for a couple of hours each day - which means you still don't have a solution if you're working from 9 till 6.
The Findings from West Unified Communications
The West Corporation is one of the biggest companies out there when it comes to tech-based communication services - so they know a thing or two about keeping people connected. Their research came from looking at 2,039 customer surveys issued to help provide a deeper insight into what the average consumer wants from their brand contact centre. According to West, about 74% of the customers found it annoying that customer service is only available during their standard working hours, while 47% said that they wanted more options to communicate with companies from their mobile.
On top of that, 46% of customers in the survey said that they expect issues to be solved within five minutes on a voice call or live-chat interaction. For other media, you have slightly longer, for instance, customers will wait up to one hour for a resolution over social media, SMS, or email.
The Customer Service Experience Needs to Change
It makes sense. We're living in a world that's faster-paced and more chaotic than ever before. People just don't have the time to sit down and wait to speak to an agent in person - particularly not on a weekday between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm. Even if you did happen to have a day off, the chances are that you have better things to do than sort out a problem with your internet bill or tech supplier. West's study shows that today's call centres need to start re-thinking their approach to customer service, to not only make it more "omnichannel" but also more convenient too.