Research conducted by telephone answering service CALLCARE has discovered the most frustrating bugbears that people experience when speaking to a customer service adviser over Blue Monday.
Blue Monday, which in 2017 falls on January 16th, is reported to be the most depressing day of the year. Although many dismiss the idea as ‘pseudoscience’, tighter budgets, the end of Christmas celebrations and a return to work can understandably make people feel a little ‘blue’ and less tolerant than usual.
To help businesses out this Blue Monday, and indeed for the rest of the year, CALLCARE conducted a survey asking people what their biggest pain points were when dealing with customer service teams.
More than half of respondents (an overwhelming 51 per cent of people) state that their biggest annoyance comes from being left on hold over the phone for long periods of time.
One in five people (20 per cent) says that they dislike not being able to understand the person they were talking to.
Having too many options and advisers being too over familiar with customers tie for third place with 10 per cent of the vote each. Interestingly, a lack of personal interaction is down the list with just 8 per cent of the vote.
Gemma Harding, head of corporate services at CALLCARE comments, ‘Many business owners don’t think of the problems highlighted here as ones that they can fix; often they just believe they are a standard part of dealing with customers. But there is plenty that businesses can do to address these pain points and try to keep customers as happy as possible, and hopefully turn them into loyal ones!
‘Our research has shown that the biggest frustration for more than half of the people we surveyed was being kept on hold for too long, so clearly this is the issue that they should address first. We’ve all had experience of it, and we know that the longer you have to wait, the more irate you usually become.’
Harding concludes, ‘Forward-planning; contingency plans; efficiency; and a friendly and professional manner – these are all the hallmarks of a strong customer service team. At the end of the day, businesses should be doing everything they possibly can to keep their customers happy. That way they will keep coming back and may even bring others with them.’
Further reading on Blue Monday
