Customer Service In A Tight Economy

CUSTOMER SERVICE IN A Earlier this year, financial services giant American Express conducted a "Global Customer Service Barometer" survey of What they ultimately found is that businesses are failing to satisfy their customers. Let's explore why there's a disconnect and what businesses the U.S. and nine other countries in TIGHT ECONOMY order to analyze attitudes toward customer service in the transforming economic landscape. can do to be successful. Customers Are More In most all of the markets surveyed, at least nine in ten consumers say they're more likely to buy a gift from a company after having a good customer service experience. Discerning Today HOW MUCH MORE 75% 61% DO THEY SPEND? of U.S. consumers spend more with a company because of a history with good customer service of consumers report that good customer is more important today in this economy MORE THAN 9% Businesses Are Missing the Mark Most Businesses Haven't Changed Their Attitude Toward Customer Service When customers have to stretch their dollars further, you can bet they're not going to tolerate poor customer service for longer than they have to. With the exception of India, businesses everywhere haven't ramped up to address this issue. Very Few Exceed Expectations Sure, most businesses in countries around the world meet customer service expectations but do they go the extra mile? In regarda to customer service in this current economy, do people think that businesses... Does your customer service experience usually.. • Increased their focus? • Haven't changed their attitudes? Exceed expectations? • Miss expectations? • Pay less attention? • Meet expectations? Percent of Respondenta. 32% Percent of Respondents. 34% -6% 2% 26% 61% 55% 39% 20% 34% 44% 29% GERMANY U.S. GERMANY 21% 28% N 2% 26% 49% 56% 38% 24% 58% 44% 45% 34% CANADA U.K CANADA 24% 33% 39% 37% 27% 51% 45% - 55% 39% 34 MEXICO AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA TE 24% 66% 1% 11% 24% 41% 22% 11% 61% 51% 54% 25% FRANCE INDIA FRANCE INDIA How Can They Make Customers Love Them? Percentages do not add up to 100% because "Not Sure" responses weren't shown Embrace Personal Communication An overwhelming amount of customers from all over the world would prefer real or face-to-face communication to solve customer service issues over less personalized modes. How do you want the company to resolve your customer service issue(s)? Percent of Respondents. 72% Speaking with a "real" person on the phone CANADA Face to face 92 Company website or email http:/ 13% Online chat What Could Happen If They Don't Fix It: A Cautionary Tale They Will Tell Their Friends How Bad the Service Was Consumers Will Lose Their Temper All the time Sometimes Have you ever lost your temper with a customer service representative? How often do you tell other people about your poor customer service experience? Rarely Never Percent That Answered "Yes" Percent of Respondents O Average number of people they tell U.S. U.S. CANADA MEXICO FRANCE 64% 30% 4% 2% CANADA 59% 35% 62% 32% 70% 27% MEXICO 4% 2% 3% 3% 2% 1% FRANCE GERMANY U.K. U.K. AUSTRALIA GERMANY INDIA AUSTRALIA 62% 33% 65% 31% 47% 46% 56% 36% 6% 1% 3% 2% 3% 1% INDIA 6% 2% They Will Leave for Another Brand More than half would try a new brand or company just to get better service. And They Will Put a Dent in the Bottom Line In Mexico, almost 9 out of 10 consumers will ditch a purchase due and ultimately hurt sales. • "I would sacrifice convenience" • I would travel a longer distance • "I would try a new brand consumers in each country bad customer service or company" Percent of Respondents Haven't completed a business transaction or purchase because of poor customer service. U.S. 19 59 59 GERMANY 12 62 62 Which measures would you take in order to get better customer service? Percent That Answered "Yes." I- 10% MEXICO 15% 63 63 U.K. 19 61 61s U.S. CANADA 20 56 56% AUSTRALIA 20% 65 55% CANADA MEXICO FRANCE 18 58 58 INDIA 19% 87 52 FRANCE GERMANY U.K. satisfaction www.getsatisfaction.com Created Dy AUSTRALIA COLUMN FIVE INDIA