• British intolerance to bad service is at an all time high • Scottish consumers revealed as the most demanding in the UK • UK Consumers give companies an average of only two chances before switching service providers
New research conducted by ContactEngine and YouGov discovered that the British expectation for good customer service has overtaken the typically high demanding Americans. One in five (18%) of UK consumers will switch to another retailer, utility company or service provider after just one poor customer service experience in comparison to only 10% of US consumers.
ContactEngine’s research polled more than 2,000 consumers worldwide. The study found that the British intolerance of poor service is at an all time high, with 94% claiming that they are less tolerant than they were three years ago, making Britons the most demanding customers in the world.
Of the high demanding UK consumers, ContactEngine research found that Scottish consumers and those in the South West of England are the most demanding, with 59% of Scottish consumers stating they would never use a company again after just two poor experiences, compared to just 44% of American consumers.
Compared to the demanding Scottish customers, consumers in North West and the Northern Ireland proved to be the most loyal to companies after a poor experience, with one in ten willing to give companies more than four chances.
British consumers are less tolerant of poor customer service than they were three years ago, making them more likely to switch service providers. Overall, only 6% of Brits considered themselves to be more tolerant than they were three years ago.
“This research provides fascinating insight into the challenges facing service providing businesses,” said Dr. Mark K. Smith, CEO of ContactEngine. “Consumers today are empowered to demand more than ever, with little patience for poor customer service and more alternatives to choose from. Consumers can easily switch between different companies seeking better customer service and value that diminishes customer loyalty. Companies need to focus on putting strong teams in place to provide high quality and comprehensive service to all of their customers to win them for life.”
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Note to Editors: All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 4th July - 5th July 2016. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
About ContactEngine
ContactEngine improves the key interactions between corporates and their customers, ensuring that crucial moments such as sales, deliveries and appointments are executed with precision and minimum effort. The automated and interactive communications that ContactEngine provides are used in close conjunction with human resources to provide a trinity of proven benefits: improved efficiency, cost savings and crucially, happier customers.
