British businesses are losing customers and sales because of poor service in call centres. Over one million customers can hang up on companies call centres each week, businesses reveal in the Voice Report published by Vocalis. A third of businesses believe their customers hang up after theyve been put on hold for as little as thirty seconds.
As a result two in three firms believe they are losing as much as 30 per cent of potential business. Paul Wright, CEO of Vocalis, commented: Poor service and inefficient call centres have a direct impact on the bottom line. Our research shows that customers are increasingly demanding even better service they dont expect to be kept waiting.
The real issue for the businesses with inefficient call centres is that callers who put the phone down dont always try again and customers who cant get through might try a competitor . And both will complain about their bad experience to their neighbours and colleagues.
According to Mr Wright, the impact of shoddy service is two-fold. First, existing customers, being let down, wont trust on the brands alternative forms of communication like direct mail or advertising. On the other hand, potential customers will feel discouraged to cling on the brand due to lack of personalised contact.
The problem is set to worsen. Consumers who experience bad call centre service tend, as their frustration increases, to want even quicker service as they become even less patient and are even more easily disappointed.
Vocalis works with organisations to create contact centre voice-based solutions.
Filipe Samora
2003-03-20
Em Foco – Produto