by Ray Schultz , Columnist
Source: www.mediapost.com, June 2023
Email teams should be alarmed at the findings in The State Of Customer Service Experience, a study from the Northridge Group, Part 2 of a two-part series, released last week.
Email notifications are just not working—84% of customers say it takes a day or more to get resolution.
That puts email last among channels. And it shows that email writers do not have copy and variations ready to answer customers quickly, and possibly use the exchange to cross-sell or upsell.
That is a failure on their part. And it is a lost opportunity. At the least, these types of conversations provide usable email addresses.
In contrast, 43% of customers say they get satisfaction within minutes via live chat with an agent, and 28% within an hour. Only 29% say it takes a day or more.
Phone calls are second, with 42% saying resolution occurs within minutes.
Email is also bested by Chatbot, Love Video Chat, Mobile App, Web Self-Service and Text Message, in that order.
Social media is second to last, with 12% saying satisfaction is provided within minutes. And 72% say it takes a day or more.
Of the companies polled, 62% offer live chat, versus 40% in 2019.
It may seem counter-intuitive, but from these findings the study concludes that customers want companies to prioritize investments in chat and social media.
Chatbots are third, with 34% saying resolution takes minutes, and 40% a day or more.
Meanwhile, customers and businesses disagree on the quality of the service experience. Among customers, 66% say it is easy or very easy to get inquiries handled.
That may seem not bad at all. But 93% of business leaders claim it is easy or very much so. And while 13% of customers feel it is difficult, only 1% of business people believe it is.
Wake up, guys.
Northridge Group surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers and 250 business leaders last year.
