A new study from telecommunications service provider Contact Solutions is shedding light on customer engagement preferences and exposing the disconnect between those preferences and the ecommerce experience.
According to "The Digital Disconnect" study, 90 percent of consumers would be more likely to stick with a company that offered an excellent experience throughout the customer journey that begins with customer acquisition, continues through product and service delivery and extends into post-sale customer care. What's more, 53 percent of consumers would spend more money with a brand if they could switch channels or devices to continue a conversation without starting over and repeating their information.
Additional data from the study shows that 56 percent of online shoppers expect a phone call to provide the best experience for getting assistance, but less than 30 percent actually prefer to start with that channel. In fact, although not many online shoppers start on mobile when they request assistance, 75 percent would actually prefer to use mobile customer care inside of an app because it reduces time and hassle. Despite this, more than 95 percent of apps force users to exit in order to get live assistance via phone, chat, messaging or email.
"This new research paints a picture of the growing disconnect between the way digital consumers want to engage and how enterprises are investing to improve engagement," said Mike Costello, general manager of digital experience, Contact Solutions. "The findings in this whitepaper demonstrate the importance of a positive engagement experience and how it correlates with customer loyalty. The best way for retailers to bridge the gap is to invest in digital channels to create engagement experiences that are more convenient and better aligned with consumer preferences."
It is also important to note that the data found that 53 percent of online shoppers most often start with email to get assistance, but less than half of them prefer doing so, and more than half expect it to result in the worst experience of any channel. What's more, consumers think social media is 12 times more likely to deliver the worst experience than the best experience when it comes to getting assistance.