1. The Average Handle Time (AHT) for complaint calls is 46% higher than the average for calls that don’t involve a complaint (Source: TMAC)
It can be expected that AHT for complaints calls is higher than other queries. However, with the AHT for a complaint being almost double the time, it’s time to ask what you can do to improve to equip agents with the skills to handle such calls and reduce the number of complaints in the first place.
2. Businesses lose approximately $75 billion yearly in the United States alone because of poor customer service (Source: Forbes)
It won’t be a shock to hear that bad customer service costs, but do you know how much it could be costing your contact centre? Poor management when it comes to your customer service standards are bound to lead to low customer retention, higher rates of complaints and lost revenue.
3. Retention rate for contact centre agents that work from home is 80% versus just 25% for those in offices (Source: Pipkins)
The COVID-19 pandemic saw an unprecedented amount of people working from home, but might you be better off keeping it that way instead of making employees return to the office full-time? With employee retention being a common problem in the industry, this might be your solution.
4. Long response times on webchat (60+ seconds) raises complaint language by almost 60% (Source: TMAC)
When your channel is set up in a way the resembles instant messaging services, customers expect instant responses. In our research we found that just one minute can make a huge difference in CX in webchats – avoid long wait times by ensuring your agents aren’t handling too many webchats at one time.
5. 20% of webchats have a response time of over one minute (Source: TMAC)
We’ve just been over why this minute makes all the difference. With almost a quarter of webchats taking this full minute to respond at some point during the conversation… we’ll let you figure out how many extra complaints you might be gathering in just 60 seconds.
6. It costs 5-30x more to gain new customers than it does to retain the ones you already have (Source: Finextra)
Stop wasting money on acquiring new customers when research tells us that retaining your current ones is more cost effective. Not to mention the fact that in the modern day, with many people relying on reviews and social media for recommendations, happy customers can be the most effective advertising.
7. 35% of customers want customer support agents to help them resolve issues in one interaction (Source: Microsoft)
Over a third of customers in a Microsoft survey said that resolving issues in one interaction should be a priority for the customer support team. Another 31% claimed that getting a knowledgeable agent is the most important. This is a strong argument when it comes to making First Contact Resolution (FCR) one of your highest priority KPIs.
8. 24% of repeat calls are caused by customers not receiving their promised call back (Source: TMAC)
Think how much time you could be saving if almost a quarter of your repeat calls were avoided, because customers received their call back. This is why it is so important to have an up-to-date CRM system and ensure you’re giving customers an expected time frame when promising a call back.
9. Three quarters of consumers still prefer human interaction even as automated solutions improve (Source: Customerthink)
Many of us have faced a common enemy – you’ve got a query and none of the information available on the company website is answering it. You ring the number provided or message their ‘live chat’ only to talk with an automated system that can’t comprehend your needs. If your customers want to speak to a real person, make sure they have the option to do so.
10. 88% of consumers admit that when it comes to customer service they have higher expectations than they’ve had in previous years (Source: Hubspot)
Technology is better than ever, your contact centre software, your CRM systems, the number of channels available – but is your customer service really meeting these higher expectations? With a huge number of consumers admitting that their expectations are ever rising, it’s time to get ahead of the game.
11. More than 90% of consumers say they will not purchase from a company after three or fewer poor customer service interactions (Source: Customerthink)
Mess up once and you might be forgiven. Mess up twice and your customer might end up putting their money in a competitor’s pockets. Mess up three times and they’re almost certain to do just that. Don’t try your luck – get your customer service right the first time.
12. Only 21% of emails to customers contain an apology, far lower than other channels (Source: TMAC)
If a customer contacts you with a complaint, you apologise, right? According to our research this happens significantly less in emails than it does when using other channels. An apology can make all the difference when it comes to retaining a customer, so don’t forget to include them in your email scripts and coaching sessions.
13. 87% of employees in contact centres report high stress levels at their job (Source: Cornell University)
With almost 9 in every 10 employees feeling the stress at work and employee retention often being one of the biggest problems cited by contact centre managers, make sure you’re doing everything in your power to alleviate some of this stress.
14. 32% of businesses are implementing CRM systems to boost sales and enhance customer relationships (Source: Zippia)
If you’re going to have a customer interacting with a variety of touch points and employees within your organisation then you need to be keeping tabs on who they are and what they want. This will also reduce the amount that a customer will have to repeat themselves, saving them and your agents valuable time.
15. 10% of webchats have to be re-directed to another channel (Source: TMAC)
Taking the customer out of their channel of choice is bound to cause frustration. Make sure you signpost on your FAQ’s which contact channel a customer should use for their query and emphasise the importance and benefit to them of choosing the right channel.
16. 70% of customers have a more favourable view of brands that contact them with proactive customer service notifications (Source: Statista)
Reckon you can spot trends and events before they affect your customers? If you haven’t already been doing so, make it a priority and 70% of your customers will love you for it. This could be as simple as an automated email around busier times of the year for your business.
17. Over 15% of emails take between 3 and 6 responses to resolve (Source: TMAC)
First contact resolution (FCR) is frequently seen as the golden metric of good CX. Repeat contact results in additional resource demand on agents resulting in more agents needed, reduced CSAT and increased costs. Additionally, transfers via email are received the worst by customers due to emails tending to be a slower form of communication.
18. 56% of consumers cite automated telephone systems as the most frustrating aspect of poor customer service (Source: Customerthink)
Whilst an automated phone system can be useful to get customers to the correct team, you must consider how many extra steps you’re adding for your customer and how long it takes them to get through it. Particularly if a customer is calling to complain, contact centres should be doing everything they can to reduce frustration.
19. Call hold times increased by 34% during the pandemic and calls that escalated up the chain of command rose by 68% (Source: HBR)
Handling more difficult calls than normal due to factors beyond your control also means whilst you catch up with training and the increased demand, there will be longer wait times and more frustrated customers. Keep an eye on your average hold time to see if you need to take action.
20. 13% of emails wait over 10 days for a response (Source: TMAC)
Email is a preferred channel for some, but traditionally has been a slow communication method. It’s important that you set out expectations (in the same way you would for other channels) and utilise automation to ensure emails are getting to the teams that can solve them fastest.
About The Modular Analytics Company
If you want to see a deep dive into the statistics we found ourselves, you can download our free whitepapers here (no sign-up required):
At TMAC we want to make every customer conversation valuable, and we believe human to human interactions augmented with AI will provide the best experience. Win back control of your conversations and solve real problems with our three contact centre solutions, that put your customers front and centre by helping you listen to them, act on their preference, and coach your teams to success.
Want to chat about how we can help your business? Drop us an email at sales@tmac.ai.