Consumers Say “Call Me -- If It’s Relevant”

New research from customer management leader Convergys Corporation shows that consumers welcome proactive outreach from service and sales organizations, but only when companies make the interaction relevant by first understanding the consumer’s individual needs and interests.

The Convergys 2011 U.S. Customer Scorecard Research offers an in-depth view of contact preferences – by topic and channel -- and underscores the importance of analytics tools that provide the insights essential to making interactions worthwhile for consumers and companies alike. When communications are on the mark, consumers are receptive to outreach on a variety of issues:

-- 60% of consumers want to be informed of excessive or unusual usage or fraud, and about special offers and discounts;

-- 51% want to learn about product/service upgrades;

-- 43% say it’s “okay” to contact them for feedback on the quality of service;

-- 41% approve of a reminder about a payment or deadline renewal.

However, although many consumers are open to proactive outreach, companies often squander the opportunity by using generalized outreach that alienates consumers. According to the Convergys research, nearly one out of every four consumers who complain about the effort of working with companies specifically cite company employees who waste their time trying to sell them something they don’t want.

In addition to favored topics, consumers also expressed specific channel preferences. Nearly three-quarters of respondents preferred e-mail outreach, while more than half said contact via U.S. mail or telephone were also acceptable. Automated and new media channels were less popular, with only one in five consumers preferring IVR and text messages, and fewer than in one in ten saying they prefer to be contacted by social media.

More information on service and support can be found at www.SupportIndustry.com