There’s a wealth of market research out there about today’s customer — from the communication channels they prefer to how they rate each industry’s customer experience. With so much information available, how do you know which statistics to really hone in on? Allow us to help you out.
Below are 10 customer service statistics that every call center supervisor should know:
1. 78% of consumers have bailed on a transaction or not made an intended purchase because of a poor service experience (American Express)
There’s been plenty of talk in the industry for years that the quality of a product is second to the service provided by a company. That is, you can have the best offering in the market — and perhaps at the lowest price point — but if you have subpar customer service, your target market will still flock to your competitors.
2. On average, loyal customers are worth up to 10 times as much as their first purchase (White House Office of Consumer Affairs)
It is well-understood that the cost of acquiring a new customer is considerably more than the cost of retaining an existing one. In addition, existing customers are much more likely to continue to engage in business with your brand through upsell and cross-sell opportunities. To retain your existing customers, invest in best-in-class CRM software, cloud call center software and customer-profiling technologies so you can treat your loyal customers with the level of attentiveness and personalization that they crave.
3. 58% of Americans perform online research about the products and services that they are considering purchasing (Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project)
The sentiment circling your brand — and the amount of readily accessible information out there about your company — can have a direct affect on your company’s profitability. For instance, if online forums are filled with consumer complaints about your excessive hold times and novice agents, you may be losing customers before you ever talk to them yourself.
4. Consumers prefer the following channels: phone (61%), email (60%), live chat (57%), online knowledge base (51%) and “click to call” support automation (34%) (eConsultancy)
Today’s consumer is searching for multichannel support from brands. So, while it’s still important to maintain a strong phone presence (with trained, polite call center agents and crystal-clear audio quality), it’s equally important to demonstrate brand consistency across other channels. For instance, the level of attentiveness your customers receive on the phone should be the same as via live chat.
5. 65% of companies provide effective tools and training to their agents to gain trust with their customers (Peppers and Rogers Group)
There are a myriad of call center software tools that can assist with training, such as call monitoring, reporting and tracking. By leveraging call recording, for instance, newer agents can listen to interactions with veteran agents to identify proven strategies and best practices for customer engagement.
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6. According to consumers, customer service agents failed to answer their questions 50% of the time (Harris Interactive)
Being on hold for a prolonged period of time is enough to irritate your consumers. Once they are finally connected to an agent, however, their irritation will grow significantly if their question cannot be answered. As such, the ability for call centers to achieve first call resolution is paramount in keeping happy customers.