Think Customers: The 1to1 Blog

According to Dimension Data’s most recent Global Contact Center Benchmarking report, customer satisfaction levels have decreased by 25 percent since 2005, with the primary culprit being excessive hold times, which have increased in North America from 37 seconds in 2006 to 64 seconds.

Aberdeen Group finds that most industries are hours behind what the research firm cites as best-in-class service delivery: 9.5 hours on average to the resolution of an issue. High-tech alone comes in below that, with an average of 8.4 hours; medical device manufacturing and industrial manufacturing bottom out the list with service resolutions times of 18.0 and 15.3 hours, respectively.

A study conducted by Strativity Group and sponsored by RightNow Technologies also finds customers looking for speedy response times. Strativity Group surveyed 385 marketing, sales, and customer service managers for its study. According to the findings, 85 percent of respondents say that customers’ demand for speed in interactions is extremely high or high. Additionally, 65 percent cite customers as the main source of the demand for speed and quality, while only 15 percent identified competition and a mere 5 percent identified their bosses as the key driver of the demand for speed and quality.

But, as noted in the Strativity study, speed is not enough. Customers aren't willing to sacrifice quality for the sake of speed, according to Lior Arussy, president of Strativity Group. They expect the same level of quality that they’re used to, in addition to faster service. The question is, can you keep up?