Most consumers in Asia Pacific region have experienced poor customer service and have low expectations of receiving great service.
That’s according to the study of intelligence solutions provider Verint Systems.
The proportion of consumers that experience poor customer service is high across all surveyed industries in countries including China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Indonesia and Australia: telecoms (64 per cent), retail (59 per cent), financial services (51 per cent), utilities (51 per cent) and hotel and travel (51 per cent).
Consumers in all countries – including emerging markets where there is a common “price is king” perception – place a premium on good customer service, with only 23 per cent of consumers valuing price over service.
Roughly 45 per cent of consumers are willing to pay more for better service, particularly in China and India.
Verint Systems’ study also revealed that consumers are using multiple communications channels when sharing their good or bad service experiences.
While traditional channels such as phone, in person and email are typically used to share with family and close friends, rising social channels like Facebook, Twitter and blogs are reaching even wider audiences.
Fifty-three per cent of consumers say they will share their experiences on social media, blogs and leave comments on company websites.
More consumers also expressed their desire to share positive rather than negative experiences at a rate of 41 per cent for positive experiences compared to 32 per cent for negative experiences.
In effect, companies that can deliver a superior customer experience have an army of customer ambassadors positively increasing their brand awareness into the market via social channels, says the study.
