Why Customers Must Have Multiple Ways to Contact You
Many companies simply rely on social media and other web-based contact methods to get in touch with their customers and target markets. However, some customers prefer other ways of communication, such as picking their phone up to immediately solve a problem. This is why it is vital for companies to offer multiple different ways for their customers to get ahold of them, instead of solely offering social media and self-help methods online.
CX Act, a customer experience consulting firm, performed studies in both 2013 and 2014 to observe customers channel-of-choice. In 2013, 3,000 customers were looked at. The results showed that half were satisfied with their first interaction of a personal touch while the highest satisfaction was for people who had contact in-person. The lowest satisfaction was communication done through social media.
In 2014, CX Act conducted a Customer Touchpoint Stress Test across 50 major brands. The test looked at how the brands performed on customer satisfaction with contacts across four different channels. These different channels included telephone, e-mail, chat and Facebook. All of the customers were asked to evaluate the service that was offered when they contacted regarding simple issues like billing questions or product inquiries.
The results for this study showed that only 52% of the testers found the customer-care contact information on their Web site easy to find while 24% found the information helpful. See the table below for statistical results.
The test confirmed that once the contact is initiated by the company, the customers’ experiences impact their future loyalty. If customers have a negative contact experience, it is highly unlikely that they will purchase from your company again. These tests show that it is vital for companies to engage and show empathy towards their customers. They can do this by live phone interactions to show that they care about their customers and want to give personal attention to them. In order to do this, companies should add personality and personalization to their messages, quickly work to resolve all issues customers are having and most importantly acknowledge and empathize with their customers. Although social media is a great way to get the word out and allow your target audiences to read your messages, it is not as personal as picking up the phone and having a real conversation with your customers.
For more statistical data and results on the study, check out Crystal Collier and Gavin Winter’s article.
