Resolving Customer Complaints Isn't Just About Compensation

LONDON, July 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Just one in five customers are looking for some form of compensation when making a complaint, according to the most recent Customer Service Benchmark from eDigitalResearch.

The benchmark results reveal that, when lodging a complaint, most customers would prefer a quick resolution or an apology over pay-outs or free products. Of the 2,000 consumers surveyed, half (50%) want an immediate resolution when complaining about a faulty product or bad service. In an age where speed and convenience are becoming increasingly important to customers, it is easy to see why having something resolved quickly is most important to them.

Analysis also found that the helpfulness of staff was very important to respondents who have made a complaint in the last six months, with over a third (40%) of consumers valuing helpful staff over anything else. Another one in four (25%) said they value an apology regarding their complaint.

The study also found that digital touch points rated much higher than traditional touch points. When it comes to contacting companies, overall, users of live chat were much more satisfied - 73% of whom said they were 'satisfied' or 'extremely satisfied' - than those using email, phone or post for their customer service queries. Live chat offers customers the ability to chat to a brand representative in real-time without the hassle of long delays, automated systems or dreaded 'hold' music. One third (37%) of those surveyed now expect to be able to contact a brand by live chat.

Derek Eccleston, Global Commercial Officer at eDigitalResearch, "The latest Customer Service Benchmark results suggest that the easier a company makes it for a customer to contact them and the quicker the issue is resolved, the more satisfied they are likely to be. Sympathising with your customers and offering an apology is more likely to increase customer satisfaction than offering some form of compensation."

However, if your organisation is currently providing compensation to customers, but you're unsure how effective this is, then consider using a closed loop customer experience management solution. eCustomerConnect from eDigitalResearch not only records the original complaint, but logs any actions and communications with both the customer and internal staff regarding the issue, including compensation against the response. Records are analysable against the root cause, originating unit or any other metric collected, enabling you to see where the problem areas lie and what types of issue are costing you the most. By following up with the customer after the issue is resolved, the system also allows you to measure the effectiveness of compensation to maximise loyalty and minimise costs.

For a copy of the full Customer Service Benchmark results, please complete the following short registration survey:

https://edigitalsurvey.com/survey/enter/s/ESV-544355374

About eDigitalResearch 

eDigitalResearch is the leading provider of SaaS Voice of the Customer programmes & empowers businesses to make critical decisions through customer insight. By combining our proprietary technology with focused insight and thought leadership, we're able to provide a truly unique solution - from real-time closed-loop customer feedback to Panels and Communities.