Autumn 2009

Thirty-eight per cent of UK consumers say they would stop using a supplier following poor customer service, according to an online survey of over 2,000 people commissioned by nGenera CIM.

Breaking the result down, it says 91 per cent of British web users believe customer service is important or very important when conducting transactions online; 66 per cent of people say being stuck in a call centre phone queue is one of the biggest frustrations about customer service; and 94 per cent would stop using a company immediately, or proactively look for an alternative, if they experienced poor customer service.

Waiting in a call centre queue was considered the biggest frustration (66 per cent of respondents finding this annoying), while 52 per cent were irritated at not being able to find contact information via the company's web site.

When it came to seeking assistance on a web site, email came favourite, with a 36 per cent vote, followed by an online frequently asked questions (FAQ) section with 22 per cent. Fewer than one in five people (19 per cent) opted to call a customer service team. However, 61 per cent of older web users said they would turn to email or phone for help, compared with just 44 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds.