Contact Center 'Empathy and Advocacy' Standards are Falling in Europe

According to the results of the 2007 Aspect Contact Center Satisfaction Index - Europe, the first and only published independent survey of consumer experience versus expectations of contact center interactions in Europe, customer satisfaction with contact center-delivered service fell between 2006 and 2007. European consumers rated satisfaction with their last contact center interaction as an E grade (64 percent). This compares with 67 percent, a D grade in 2006.

Among the countries surveyed, British, Italian, French and Spanish consumers all awarded contact centers an overall satisfaction grade of E (scores fell between 61 and 62 percent). Dutch consumer ratings were slightly higher at 65 percent (D grade). While German consumers were the happiest in Europe, rating their last interaction 72 percent out of 100, a C grade on the Aspect Index - Europe.

European consumers were particularly critical of contact center Empathy and Advocacy skills - rating their last interaction with a 65 percent score, 5 percent lower than in 2006. In three key Empathy and Advocacy areas highlighted previously as being important to European consumers - “Knowledgeable and Informed”, “Professional” and “Patient”, European consumers rated contact center performance 5 to 6 percent lower in 2007 than in 2006. In addition:

28 percent of consumers in Europe said that their last contact center interaction fell short of their expectations compared with 22 percent in 2006.

Consumers in the Netherlands have the highest expectations of contact center-delivered service at 6.9 out of 9 in 2007, and French consumers the lowest at only 5.9 out of 9.

On average, 2.7 interactions are required with a European contact center in order to resolve a consumer query. Additionally, European consumers wait an average of 4.5 minutes when trying to reach a person within the contact center.

44 percent of interactions with communications companies fell short of European consumer expectations compared to only 20 percent of retail company interactions and 21 percent of financial company interactions (35 percent, 17 percent and 16 percent respectively in 2006).

The 2007 Aspect Index – Europe study also examined the impact of good and bad customer experiences on future business, finding that one third of European consumers who were ‘satisfied’ with their last interaction would conduct more business with that company; with 8 percent of these saying they will do much more business. Conversely, nearly half of consumers who were ‘unsatisfied’ claimed they will conduct less business; half of these saying they will do much less business.

Two-fifths of European consumers that were asked to repeat information after being transferred from an automated system to a live agent said they will conduct less business with a company; and, overall, 20 percent European consumers said they were “likely to switch companies based on their latest (actual) interaction”.

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