New TeleTech CX Benchmark Report Shows Customers Want Their Issues Solved Fast and Easily
Businesses and Consumers Agree Voice Customer Experience Interactions Still Important and a Channel of Choice; Consumers Rate Companies Low on Channel Integration and Transaction Time
The 2015 TeleTech Customer Experience Benchmark Report is based on findings from a survey of 176 customer experience professionals and 3,515 consumers that gauged their perceptions of how businesses deliver customer experience. The results show that while in some cases both groups align, in others, they remain disconnected on what is top of mind.
Not surprisingly, all businesses surveyed report that they are strong in customer experience areas, but many consumers disagreed - particularly around channel integration and transaction time. Only 28 percent of consumers rate the companies they do business with as "high" in terms of ease of switching from one channel to another, for example. Keeping a frictionless customer experience when changing channels remains a priority for consumers, and an area of need for businesses.
Unexpectedly, consumers both young and old agreed with the business respondents that voice experience interactions still dominate. In most traditional industries, business respondents reported that voice is not declining as a channel of choice, particularly for issues that are time sensitive or complex. Similarly, 72 percent of consumers believe that "speaking directly" to an associate is important, especially when the issue is complicated. Most consumers report they are very receptive to voice as a method of communication when it comes to making purchases or getting support.
The survey found that businesses and consumers agree that improving self-help website capabilities is very important and both ranked this CX objective at the top of their priority lists. Consumers prefer to use self-service tools for simple interactions, and prioritize voice for the more difficult communications. Providing timely and customized customer engagement using live chat also ranked high for consumers (ahead of mobile apps and social media) and slightly lower for business respondents.
Other findings from the research show a potential disconnect in customer expectations versus business priorities. Channel improvements around mobile, social media, and video remain top business priorities, while consumers of all ages prefer companies first make foundational improvements in first call resolution, skilled and knowledgeable associates, and simplified interactions before exploring new channels. This includes better web self-service, and simple voice/chat improvements.
"We've seen commitment to the customer experience grow among businesses in all industries.
To learn more about what businesses can do to more effectively align their investments with customer priorities and preferences, download the full 2015 TeleTech Customer Experience Benchmark Report.
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