Contact Center Solutions Featured Article

Study: UK Organizations Overlooking Customer Service and Revenue Link

July 03, 2014

A recent survey of contact center associates in the U.K. revealed that many respondents believe senior management does not place enough emphasis on customer service. Customer service specialist company KANA Software commissioned the study and surveyed members of the U.K. Contact Center Association (CCA).


Respondents are individuals who work in various industry sectors that include financial services, local government, and retail, analysis from Contact Center News suggests. Only 39.6 percent of people in the CCA said they believe senior management is placing a clear enough focus on customer service as a method of driving revenue. In addition to that figure, a notable percentage of respondents, 20.8 percent, said they believe senior management is placing "little or no focus" on customer service.

Furthermore, it appears that many of respondents believe there is not enough focus on the connection between revenue loss and the way in which contact centers treat their customers. The study reports that only 41.5 percent of senior officials take a strong interest in comparing a loss of revenue and customer service.

KANA points out that the disconnect between these critical elements of business may be a result of management perceiving contact centers as simply an operational expense. Officials may view them, it seems, as necessary parts of business operation, and they see such centers as having no utility beyond their basic necessity. In a phrase, they see contact centers only as functional organizations that handle customer concerns quickly; other areas of the business exist to drive revenue. Steven Thurlow, head of worldwide product strategy for KANA, comments on the issue at hand.

"Unfortunately, the contact centre is often seen as an operational expense and nothing more," Thurlow says about the results of his company's study. "Often, senior management will review functional aspects, such as speed of handling times and resolution times. This approach is unlikely to drive further investment and instead maintains a focus on efficiency above all else."

Evidence on the contrary points to a link between customer satisfaction and engagement between customers and brands. Especially when it comes to engagement within social media platforms, customers want to interact with their chosen companies in ways that are as effective as they are efficient. Yes, people want to have their concerns dealt with at speed, but they also want brands to take a sincere interest in their purchases.

Thurlow continues his comment by stating, "Fast service and good customer experiences are not always the same thing." Indeed, customers are placing their loyalty in companies that provide good experiences for them as customers. Despite what some senior officials may believe, there appears to be a strong link between good customer service (not just fast customer service) and revenue.




Edited by Alisen Downey



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