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Australian Consumers Vent more online about Poor Customer Experiences

August 22, 2014

Consumers from Australia are more likely to express comments on service experiences than those from the United States or the United Kingdom.

According to a study from provider of cloud contact centers solutions, NewVoiceMedia, consumers from down under are much more likely than UK and US consumers to reveal a poor customer service experience. On the other hand, Australians also are more likely recommend a company if they have had a positive experience.


The study showed that if they had an inadequate experience, 58 percent of Australian consumers will tell their friends and colleagues not to use the business. Those numbers are 27 percent in the UK and 49 percent in the US.

The company points out that social media, online forums and review sites each provide consumers a platform to offer negative criticism and positive reviews about a business.

In fact, NewVoiceMedia said that 53 percent of Australian 25-34-year-olds will use online options to spread negative comments compared to 39 percent of UK consumers of this same age range. Similarly, Australians are more likely than those from the UK to use social media to resolve a problem with a business. Those numbers are 12 percent vs 7 percent in the UK.

For Gen Y and millennials (those 16 to 34), the percentage was 26 percent, and Facebook was the preferred social network for interacting with a business, the report said.

"Naming and shaming can be the fastest way of getting a response," one consumer revealed in a report carried by CallCentres.net.

It is noteworthy too that out of US, UK and Australian consumers, women are more likely to go online to complain about a business, with the percentages being 35 percent from Australia, 36 percent from the United States, and 19 percent from the United Kingdom.

 Consider however that 76 percent of Australian consumers will recommend a company if they have had a positive experience. That number was 71 percent in the UK, and 69 percent in the US.

"While it is damaging to a brand when customers tell friends and family if they are dissatisfied with service they’ve received, it’s not nearly as powerful and immediate as those who take their complaints online; particularly as consumers are increasingly turning online to read about others’ experiences before choosing a product or supplier,” Jonathan Gale, CEO at NewVoiceMedia, said in a statement about the survey results. “Over the next few years we expect to see these statistics soar as the younger generation matures.”

 Customers want personalized and engaging experiences every time, through every channel,” he added in the statement. “Great customer experience is the critical differentiator and by doing it well, organizations can drive the customer acquisition, retention and efficiency that make leading companies successful."




Edited by Peter Bernstein



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