Not a lot like a bot as human touch still rules OK

call 2It may be nearly 45 years since Blondie sang “don’t keep me hanging on the telephone” but the sentiment is as true as ever, with Brits still wasting more than an entire month of their life on hold thanks to poor customer service.

Research commissioned by the team collaboration and business services provider AnywhereWorks, shows two fifths of consumers (40%) have found it harder to reach businesses over the phone since the beginning of the pandemic. The survey found consumers wait an average of 15 minutes and 42 seconds before hanging up when calling a company.

It also reveals that the average Brit makes up to four customer service calls a month, which equates to a wait time of over 12 hours a year on hold for companies’ customer service departments; 31 days in a lifetime.

Even so, almost 8 out of 10 (78%) of those surveyed cited a preference to speak with a real person via phone or live chat over bots when contacting a company’s service team.

The top three preferred methods to contact a company’s customer service team when dealing with a query are phone call to a real person (61%); email (47%); and Live chat with a real person (31%).

The survey found consumers felt misled when calling a company, with a third believing they were speaking with a person and then realised it was an automated service. Over 80% of respondents feel it should be made clear if they are speaking to a chatbot. As a result, they feel their problems are rarely solved.

The top three industries that respondents think currently provide the best customer service are hotels (31%), hospitality (28%); and network providers (15%); while the bottom three are trainlines (3%); airlines (7%); and event organisers (8%).

The quality of customer service given can also significantly affect a company’s reputation, with four fifths (80%) mentioning that they have hung up on a company before due to poor customer service, or from waiting too long for their call to be answered. Some 85% claim that they would boycott a company if their customer service was poor.

AnywhereWorks founder Michael Payne said: “People want human connection when they contact a business. With a people-first approach, businesses can deliver consistently high standards of friendly and professional care and build lasting customer relationships. Technology has done so many amazing things, but the universal truth is that while it can enhance communication, it can never replace it.”

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