A CX Report Card from 4,000 retail customers
In a recent study, business communications company Mitel® surveyed more than 4,000 consumers to get a clearer view of how the pandemic has been shaping customer experience and expectations. As I read through their summary, I found plenty to celebrate. Notably, fully 60% of consumers report that they’ve seen CX improve this year. In light of the bumpy terrain most brands have traveled just to adapt to this year’s challenges, that’s a remarkable outcome.
But some of the study’s specifics – and my own observations this year – suggest that it would be unwise to assume that a 60% CX improvement is typical of most brands this year. More likely, it’s one more sign of the growing divide between those organizations who were fully prepared to move their customer care agents into at-home workspaces, thereby delivering uninterrupted customer care – and those who were forced to scramble, patching together what they could at the last minute. Nearly half (46%) of all respondents said waiting on hold created a bad customer experience. Even more (48%) defined a bad experience as one where – once their call was answered – they were repeatedly transferred.
Conversely, what are customers looking for in a good experience? Well, more than half (55%) looked for a voice on the phone that was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. 45% sought responsiveness and speed of service. And notably, more than a third of respondents seem to simply want fewer unknowns in life: 35% said that, if their brand communicated clearly and kept them informed, that was a good customer experience.
A thread that seems to run through the study’s findings is that, when there are CX fails, they can usually be traced back to failings rooted in technology shortcomings and sometimes, within an organization’s failure to build flexible, adaptable processes and technology. For those organizations unable or unwilling to invest in that kind of flexibility, it’s been tough and looks certain to get tougher.
If you’d like to take a closer look at Mitel’s study, you can find it below. And if you’d like to learn more about how Skybridge Americas can help you deliver a superior customer experience on every call, please reach out. We would love to talk!
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-Bobby Matthews
Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Skybridge Americas
bmatthews@skybridgeamericas.com
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