A lockdown starts to ease, any brands thinking of using cold call telemarketing as part of their recovery plan should maybe think again; Brits would rather be contacted by a clingy ex-partner than receive a call from a business they did not have a relationship with.
So says a new report from global cloud communications company Infobip, which polled 2,000 UK consumers to examine how important phones to modern-day life.
The research, part Infobip’s “Me, Myself and I” series, reveals that well over two thirds (70%) of UK adults would be annoyed at having to deal with a call from businesses they did not know compared to less than one in five (18%), who would be annoyed by an unexpected call from a former partner.
Once a consumer has identified a brand they want to converse with, it seems they are happy to build on that relationship.
Even so, other results of the study are not quite so stark; while over four-fifths (85%) of Brits would share their home address with a business, three-fifths (59%) would share their address with someone they had just met.
Similar results were found for sharing contact details. Four-fifths (81%) of UK adults are willing to share their mobile phone number with a business compared to nearly three-quarters (72%) who are happy sharing their mobile number with someone they do not know.
Accessibility and timeliness are critical to customer satisfaction and loyalty. Previous research from Infobip found that the biggest frustrations for consumers when it comes to customer service are waiting to speak with customer services (35%); limited ways and times to contact a company (31%); and repeating details to a customer service agent (20%).
Most customers prefer email contact with brands (52%), but live online chat is becoming a popular option (31%) too.
Infobip Europe managing director Nikhil Shoorji said: “After a year of relentless uncertainty, what we can be certain of is that customer experience is more important than ever; especially when face-to-face contact with brands has been so severely reduced. The problem is that businesses aren’t delivering on these channels.
“With only one chance to make a good first impression, it is essential that businesses get their communications strategy right. Whether that’s identifying a customer prefers initial engagement via email, followed by a phone call, or that they prefer to use a WhatsApp chatbot for customer service enquiries.
“Being clear on timing, preference and message is imperative to building trust and rapport with a customer, something we know is hard to come by in an always-on culture.
“For today’s businesses, it’s crucial to transform cold calls into warm leads – showing customers you genuinely care will encourage loyalty and boost revenue in the long run.”
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