Consumers are lowering the bar when it comes to customer service, and that customer service through social media channels is on the decline, according to a new report from NICE Systems and the Boston Consulting group. The new research revealed that as customer engagement becomes an absolute necessity across all verticals, finding the proper channel for customer service needs to be a top organizational priority.
These statistics may come as a surprise, considering that daily, weekly, and monthly use of social media channels for customer service had doubled between 2011 and 2013. Usage of these channels has since declined between 2013 and 2015 and, perhaps, more alarmingly, the percentage of consumers that has never used social media customer service jumped to 65%, compared to a 58% rate two years ago.
Of those surveyed that do not use social media as a customer service channel, the leading (33%) reason was the amount of time it took to have issues addressed. This struggle is in stark contrast to the supposed benefit of instant communication when social media was on the rise as a means to engage customers.
The report sorts some of the data by region, producing an interesting view point of how American customer experience differs from other countries. For example, Americans seem to have a worse perception of customer service, noting that being immediately routed to the correct customer service rep, as opposed to being transferred multiple times, would “exceed expectations.” This stands in opposition to their European and Australian counterparts, who find these qualities essential.
NICE Systems noted the increasing difficulty and significance of customer service as a means of building brand loyalty.
“This year’s survey serves as further proof that customer service is becoming more complex and more critical for a company’s success,” said Tom Dziersk, President of NICE Systems Americas. “When an organization can create a perfect experience, there are many dividends, and as the report’s findings make clear, ample room for improvement creates many opportunities for businesses to set themselves apart. Every day, we see companies that partner with NICE beginning to better anticipate the journey of their customers. They are leveraging advanced analytics to better understand customers both as individuals, as well as a collective, to ensure that they are best prepared to provide service that makes a difference.”
The study surveyed 1,700 people ages 18-65 in the U.S., the U.K., France, Australia, and the Netherlands.