Customer Survey shows Importance of Good Experience

While 80% of Great Britain adults felt good products were at least “very important” in driving loyalty, there was little separating the impact of good prices and good customer service, finds a customer experience survey by RightNow Technologies.

The report, conducted by Harris Interactive in Q4 2005 in the United States (U.S.) and Great Britain, highlights the significant influence an organisation’s service interactions have on their relationships with consumers and an organisation’s bottom line, but in Great Britain only 26% of consumers had a negative service experience. This contrasts with the picture in the USA, where almost every US consumer stated they had a negative service experience in the past year.

However, a majority of consumers (US 80% and Great Britain 65%) in both countries have stopped doing business with an organization in which they had a negative service experience.

The report concludes that positive customer experiences significantly increase repeat business, engender loyalty, and increase recommending the organisation to others. Consumers stated that if they received consistently excellent service, they would be more likely to increase their business with that organisation.

About a quarter of consumers in both countries also stated that once an organisation has lost their business due to service they would not ever return. Furthermore those who would consider going back after a poor service experience said they would require evidence that things have improved at the company, and that the organisation values their business.

U.S. consumers stated their highest levels of frustration came from call centres with automated menus that travel in circles or do not list options they need. They then listed inconsistent and incorrect information, along with long hold times as extremely frustrating.

Great Britain consumers were equally frustrated with automated menus that travel in circles and do not list the options they need, as well as inconsistent and incorrect information, long hold times, service representatives that can’t help, and repeating account information.

Finally, the report examined which vertical industries had the best and worst service. US consumers listed financial services and travel with the best service, and Great Britain consumers listed retail and travel. Both the US and Great Britain listed telecommunications and government with the least satisfactory service.

Women placed a higher importance on customer service than men did (55% of women indicated customer service is extremely important, compared to 48% of men), though the overall importance of customer service in engendering loyalty was strong for both.

Associated Link: Customer Experience report - one time registration needed

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