Dive Brief:
- Almost one-third of Internet users named voice or phone the most frustrating customer service channel in a new survey from cloud contact center Aspect.
- Mobile buyers were more likely to use the phone to communicate with a company than other channels, according to another survey from Contact Solutions.
- More than half of consumers polled in a survey from Aspect and Conversion Research said they had stopped doing business with a retailer due to poor customer service.
Dive Insight:
While more consumers choose the phone to contact a company, they report that the channel is the most frustrating to use. Among consumers who had made a customer service request in the last 12 months, 32% cited voice or phone the as the most frustrating channel to use—more than websites (15%), live chat (13%) or e-mail (12%).
In-person assistance, text, messaging, mobile apps and social networks can also be frustrating, shoppers said, and that frustration can convince them to end relationships. 52% of mobile users in all age groups reported that they had stopped doing business with a general retailer due to poor customer service; 10% had stopped shopping at a big-box electronics store.
Why do consumers continue to use a channel that’s so frustrating? Maybe it’s a matter of security: More than half (54.7%) of mobile users said that the phone felt the most secure when requesting assistance, with websites coming in second at 21.6%. A live operator is also the most tried-and-true option, even if that option can be a hassle to use.
