Customers most like using traditional channels for contacting service providers
According to the latest Ipsos survey into customers’ preferences regarding channels of communication with service providers (customer service desks), the traditional options of seeing somebody in person, sending a letter by post and contact by telephone are still those chosen most often. Signs of change can be seen in what is known as ‘generation Y’, making much greater use of modern forms of contact such as e-mail, inquiries submitted on-line via providers’ web sites, or live chat on-line conversation.
Most effective channels of communication according to customers
The usage of various channels for communicating with service providers is widespread in Poland. 89% of consumers at least occasionally contact a customer service desk. Personal contact is important both for older and younger generations. Modern channels, such as e-mail, web site inquiries and on-line chatting, are used much less often, despite awareness of these options being pretty high.
Regardless of the type of institution (a bank, insurer, TV or telecoms service provider, or supplier of power, water, gas, etc.), how often do you use the different channels for contacting customer service desks?
Poles mainly sort things out using traditional methods. Almost 70% of the survey respondents go to branches for matters related to their personal bank account, deposits and investments; 65% go in person for matters related to life insurance and retirement policies; and 54% personally contact the customer service desk of their suppliers of water, gas and power.
However, where Internet, cable TV and mobile telephony are concerned, the respondents use the providers’ hotlines more often.
Generation Y (growing up in the 1990s and later, with at least secondary education, with a computer, Internet access and a mobile telephone) may play a significant role in changing customer behaviour and the perception of modern channels of communication. People in this group are much more involved in modern channels (which suit their lifestyle more). They use e-mail, hotlines, web site inquiries and live chat more often than the population as a whole. Members of generation Y also have a much better opinion of such channels, although traditional options are also important to them.
Customers’ expectations towards customer service
When contacting customer service desks, customers show the greatest appreciation for efficiency, expertise and security, followed by support, involvement and understanding. Simple procedures, speed and availability are much less important. Modern channels are used much less often by the population as a whole, as despite being fast and easily accessible, they do not fulfil customers’ expectations in regard to efficiency, security and involvement – which are needs of a higher order satisfied specifically during personal contact.
When I’m in touch with a customer service desk, the most important for me is....
Efficiency, expertise and security are important also for generation Y. However, speed (as in speed of customer service, speed of getting through when making a call), accessibility (convenient working hours) and flexibility are more important for this group than the population as a whole.
Today’s customer places quite a challenge in front of service providers. On the one hand they have to retain high quality service in traditional channels, while on the other the modern channels need to be strengthened and developed; here suiting the traditional customer will demand much greater empathy, a willingness to understand the customer’s problem, and total involvement by staff in sorting out cases positively.
The survey was conducted between 4 and 14 February 2010 on a representative random-quota sample of 1012 Poles aged 15 and over. The statistical error in estimations for this sample size is no greater than (+/-) 3.1% at a confidence level of 0.95.
