Every customer service nightmare begins with, “Can you hold, please?” What often follows next is a pinball effect of rerouting through different agents and repeated information requests. In the age where positive customer experiences are a crucial competitive differentiator, preventing these scenarios should be priority number one for organizations of all sizes.

In fact, recent research commissioned by 8x8 found that within the United States and the United Kingdom, time-to-resolution is a powerful factor in how customers rate contact center experiences. Here’s what we uncovered:

  • 70% of US respondents have been frustrated by the time it has taken the company to solve their problems, compared to 64% of UK respondents
  • 55% of US respondents say they are most likely to lose their patience during customer service phone calls, compared to 37% of UK respondents
  • 32% of US respondents are frustrated due to it taking too long to get through to a human—jumping to 36% in the UK

Interestingly, the study also found that the level of patience consumers have with longer resolution times vary based on the industry in which you operate. For example, US consumers reported that telecom, retail, and utilities are the most common industries they lose patience with during customer service interactions. Furthermore, 39% explicitly cited financial services as the industry they expect to have the fastest response times.

Given the sheer level of choice available in today’s digital economy, consumers are more than willing to make their displeasure known when contact centers fail to address long resolution times. When asked, 58% of US consumers stated they would stop shopping with a business due to slow customer service and 42% would share negative experiences with their friends and family. It’s a snowball effect that can have significant consequences.

Preventing these scenarios, and getting consumers the information and resources they need, starts with an analytics-driven contact center solution that meets them where they are. When 96% of US consumers believe that companies should provide multiple ways for customers to contact the customer service team, delivering an omnichannel experience that incorporates context, history, and preferences can ensure consistent, positive interactions.

Learn how you can power quick, efficient customer engagements with 8x8 Contact Center.

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