Aspect Study to European Service Providers: 'You're Not Doing As Well As You Think'

By Tracey E. Schelmetic

Editorial Director,
Customer Inter@ction Solutions magazine

 

Aspect Software recently wrapped up its first “Aspect Contact Center Satisfaction Index Europe,” which it calls the “first and only published independent survey of consumer experiences versus expectations of contact center interactions in Europe.” The 2006 Aspect Index Europe survey, conducted by market research company Leo J. Shapiro and Associates, was initiated to measure the quality of consumers’ telephone and Internet interactions with companies and their representatives across six countries, and across different industries.

To arrive at the findings, 1,000 interviews were completed with European consumers, producing a survey sample with an overall confidence level of +/- 3 percent. Additionally, more than 150 contact center managers, directors and executives representing a cross-section of contact center professionals were interviewed.

The result in a nutshell? European customers give contact centers a satisfaction grade of D (67 percent).



Aspect has aggregated its European findings and compared them to those results from their North American 2005 Aspect Contact Center Satisfaction Index to discover how European and North American customers are both similar and dissimilar in their customer service experiences. They found the following interesting tidbits:

More Europeans Prefer E-Mail

In Europe, 66 percent of customers prefer telephone contact with customer service agents and 33 percent of customers count e-mail as their preferred mode, while in North America, 79 percent of customers prefer using the telephone and only 18 percent use e-mail to contact a company.

Empathy and Advocacy are Most Important

Among the tested criteria, empathy and advocacy were rated the most important qualities for agents to offer to both European and North American consumers. The criteria for these traits included patience, knowledge, professionalism and friendliness.

Efficiency is More Important for Europeans

European customers reported that contact center efficiency was almost as important as agent advocacy and empathy, with 85 percent preferring this trait. In North America, only 59 percent of customers found any of the efficiency features to be extremely important, a distant second to empathy and advocacy features.

Interactions Consistently Fall Short of Expectations

Twenty-two percent of European and 23 percent of North Americans reported that their last contact center interaction fell short of expectations. There is a strong disconnect between consumers and companies at this level: by contrast, only two percent of contact center managers in Europe and only 10 percent of North American contact centers feel they are providing less-than-optimal service.

Aspect calls the results, as they affect European customer service providers, mixed.

“While these low expectations seem to be an indictment of contact centers, they also present a significant business opportunity for European companies,” said Isabel Montesdeoca, senior director of marketing, Europe and Africa, for Aspect Software (News - Alert). “They can use the findings of the Aspect Index Europe to move ahead of the competition by setting higher service standards for themselves in the areas consumers highlighted as being most important. Contact centers can’t always assume they know what their customers want.”

“Companies that want to succeed in any business need to assess regularly how consumers perceive them,” said Margaret Mueller of Leo J. Shapiro and Associates, which conducted the survey of European consumers and analyzed the results. “The Aspect Index Europe can provide valuable insight, backed by hard data, to help them get a strong grasp on what consumers want and deserve to experience when they call, chat or email for service and sales assistance.

“Often times the interactions consumers have with a contact center are their only interactions with the company,” added Mueller. “So for them, the contact center is the company. This means that every contact they make can help to cement a positive relationship with the brand. The companies that have a firm understanding of this can set themselves apart from the competition and build a very loyal customer base.”

For more in-depth information, visit www.aspect.com.