{"id":284,"date":"2016-06-09T09:00:37","date_gmt":"2016-06-09T08:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/industry\/blog\/industry\/2016\/06\/09\/customer-service-not-department-everyones-job\/"},"modified":"2016-06-09T09:00:37","modified_gmt":"2016-06-09T08:00:37","slug":"customer-service-not-department-everyones-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/industry\/blog\/cross-industry\/2016\/06\/09\/customer-service-not-department-everyones-job\/","title":{"rendered":"Why customer service is not a department – it\u2019s everyone\u2019s job."},"content":{"rendered":"

By 2020 customer experience will become a key brand differentiator. Microsoft surveyed 4 key global markets for the Global State of Multichannel Customer Service Report<\/em><\/a>, which reveals the channels, habits, frustrations, and preferences of customers around the globe. The results are fascinating!<\/p>\n

Customer satisfaction is the key to loyalty<\/h2>\n

Customer expectations are changing and growing just as rapidly as the technology customers use to engage. On average, 97 percent of global customers say customer service is a key differentiator in their decisions to use\u2014or abandon\u2014a company. In fact, 63% of the British have stopped doing business with a brand due to bad customer service<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Quality self-service is a must<\/h2>\n

To consumers, being able to find a resolution to an issue or an answer to a question online is increasingly important, with 90 percent of worldwide customers expecting it. In fact, 72% of the British have searched for an answer for their issue online and 92% expects a brand or a company to have a self-service customer support portal or a FAQ page.<\/strong> There are still room for improvement with 26% not finding information they are looking for.<\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t be silent in social<\/h2>\n

Customer expectations have moved along the times: 51% of the British expect brand to respond in social media within 24 hours and 14% expect them to answer in less than an hour. But social media is not just a place where customers go to vent; in fact, our survey revealed that more UK customers use social to praise brands\u2019 customer service than to complain about it!<\/strong> Instead of dreading conversations on social, see it as an opportunity to turn negative sentiment into positive: 43% of the British have a more positive view of a brand or company who answers them in social.<\/p>\n

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Hold music plays on<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s always enlightening to find out just how long customers are willing to wait on hold. Turns out consumers in the United States have the most stamina. 18% of the Americans are prepared to stay on hold for more than 10 minutes, while 56% of the British hang up after 5 minutes.<\/p>\n

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However, being on hold is not the most frustrating aspect for the British – being passed between agents and having to contact a brand or company multiple times for the same issue results much more annoying on this side of the pond.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, wherever business is done, in whichever corner of the world, customers not only deserve a company\u2019s best efforts, they expect it.<\/p>\n

Customer service is not a department, it\u2019s everyone\u2019s job.<\/p>\n

Download the free report for the full statistics and insights<\/a><\/p>\n