Typical or exceptional service?  It's your call

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Brits are the most likely consumers in Europe to switch suppliers because of a bad contact centre experience.  It's shocking but - according to the 2007 Aspect Index Contact Center Satisfaction-Europe study - absolutely true.

46 percent of European consumers who stated they were 'not at all' or 'not very' satisfied 'with their last contact centre experience in 2007 said they would do less business with that company.  That figure fell to 38 percent in Germany - but rose to 51 percent in the UK.

The study delivers a clear warning for European operators who fail to deliver quality service.  As well as demonstrating consumers' propensity to switch suppliers as a result of unsatisfactory service, the research also showed that consumers have low expectations of contact centre-delivered service (European consumers rating those expectations at just 6.4 on a scale of 10 in 2006).

Yet the study also pointed the way ahead for contact centre operators.  33 percent of European consumers who stated that they were 'satisfied' with their last interaction said they would conduct more business with that company in the future; with 8 percent of these saying they will do much more business.  

It's clear that there's a link between customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and repeat purchases.  Indeed, according to the Aspect Index - Europe study, the happier consumers are, the more likely they are to do future business. 

If your organisation delivers 'typical consumer experiences' then the Aspect Index - Europe 2007 study tells us that one in five of your customers will typically be considering leaving your company this year.   However, if you deliver 'exceptional consumer experiences' then only one in eight will consider leaving. 

What's more, a significant 47.5 percent of European consumers who described their last contact centre interaction as 'exceptional' stated that they would do more business with that company in the future. 

So 'typical' or 'exceptional'?  What are your customers saying? 

By Anita Marsh, Manager, Marketing, Europe and Africa, Aspect Software marketing.uk@aspect.com