Customer Service More Important to Consumers
Reluctant to spend their money to begin with in this spiraling economy, consumers expect that when they do, the experience with the merchant is first-rate. If it’s not, they’ll find someone else to do business with. Such was the finding of a recent survey from the customer service technology solutions and services provider RightNow Technologies, Customer Experience Impact Report, conducted by the market research firm Harris Interactive.
Eighty-seven percent of respondents said they’ve stopped doing business with a company because of poor customer service, up 19 percent from just two years ago. The online survey was conducted Sept. 4 to 8, with 2,112 U.S. adults polled. Here are some more findings of the report:
* 58 percent said that even in a down economy, they’ll always or often pay more for a better customer experience;
* 58 percent said that when recommending a company, outstanding customer service is the most important factor, followed by low prices (44 percent) and top quality products/services (43 percent);
* 84 percent of respondents said they would tell others about a negative experience, up from 74 percent last year;
* 22 percent said they’ve posted negative feedback about a company on a blog vs. 13 percent in 2007;
* 51 percent of those surveyed said they want the option of a live Web chat session when shopping online;
* 5 percent of consumers said the delivery of targeted information via mobile technology would improve the customer experience; and
* 4 percent said an increased presence on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace would improve an organization’s customer service.
For more information, go to www.rightnow.com.
- Places:
- U.S.