Long waits and touch tone menus send consumers contact centre crazy
Offshoring is a concern, but technology intended to help the consumer could cause even more problems, according to a new survey from CC.
Companies reducing overheads by taking their contact centre contracts overseas, implementing new voice-recognition and touch tone technology and generally lowering staff levels, has been well publicised over the past few years. However, with claims that customer service levels have not suffered as a result, CC, an independent convergence integrator specialising in voice, data and contact centres, commissioned research to establish to what extent this was true, which aspects specifically caused the most concern to the consumer, and what measures could be put in place to address these issues.
Working with ICM*, CC surveyed 1000 consumers (18+) in order to gain a better understanding of how the general public perceived contact centre performance. The survey asked respondents about the level of service they had received from a range of companies from different sectors (including financial/banking, cinemas, mobile phone and utility companies). It was not just service levels that they were asked about, but which aspects of the contact centre experience were the most positive or negative, helping to give a full picture of the end-users' experience.
As one might expect, especially with the high-levels of press coverage around the subject, there was dissatisfaction surrounding offshore contact centres, particularly in terms of language difficulties encountered. However, surprisingly, the biggest concern was the long holding times and the technology introduced to make services better - but which are actually making the experience more frustrating.
Participants reported that at least 55 per cent of calls resulted in significant waiting times before they were able to speak to an operator, something that was true across all sectors, with 38 per cent of callers to banks/financial institutions finding this highly unsatisfactory. Hold times was the key factor that apparently caused the most annoyance for consumers, and although language difficulties with offshore centres is something that companies need to bear in mind, it is worth noting that consumers would seemingly put up with this if waiting times were not so long.
Another interesting figure from the survey found that 78 per cent of callers to banks and financial institutions were asked to select options by choosing numbers on their phones from a menu. This technology, introduced to make life easier for the consumer, has in fact caused more dissatisfaction than any other method, with 41 per cent of callers expressing dissatisfaction with this approach, which often failed to offer the caller their desired option. Similar levels of frustration were recorded for comparable technology. Voice recognition also caused frustration with the technology apparently unable to recognise regional accents, and again, not always delivering the options required by the caller.
Gene Reynolds, consultant at CC, argues that problems like these can be avoided if organisations use technology more effectively.
"The survey has brought up some really interesting results. As we expected there is a backlash against offshore contact centres, but the consensus of opinion against some of the solutions that have been brought in to make the consumer's life easier and cut costs is huge - it appears that some companies have been getting it badly wrong."
Reynolds continues; "Companies need to look at which aspects affect the consumer, and recognise that there are solutions out there that are effective in addressing these issues. There are tools in the marketplace that, if used effectively, can create a positive experience for the consumer, with zero impact on operational performance. Of course technology isn't always the panacea when it comes to customer satisfaction. Sometimes it requires a re-think around what the consumer is expecting when they try to contact your business. This survey indicates there is a clear dissatisfaction with consumers and contact centres. Businesses need to act now in order to prevent further erosion of the customer experience and eventual customer defection."
* ICM Research 2007