Consumers Frustrated with Contact Center Service During Pandemic

The results of a new survey highlight some of the challenges contact centers are facing as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. According to a survey conducted by Uniphore, a company that specializes in conversational service automation, customer frustration has grown while businesses are also missing opportunities to build trust and loyalty because of the ongoing pandemic.

On a more positive note, the survey revealed that consumers are open to new technologies that can aid contact center agents while better serving customers' immediate needs.

Overall, the survey indicated that customers are increasingly making purchasing decisions based on their interactions and experiences with an organization. In fact, 59 percent of those consumers surveyed would recommend a company based on a positive contact center experience.

“Contact centers are a lifeline for support on critical issues from healthcare to travel to commerce and one of the most powerful ways brands build customer loyalty," said Umesh Sachdev, CEO and co-founder of Uniphore. "But today, many consumers are feeling muted and undervalued at the same time as call center agents are feeling overwhelmed and under resourced. We have the ability to change this and empower call center agents with technology and support that enables them to truly hear the voice of the customer and deliver personalized and impactful answers and support.”

The survey revealed that hold times have increased by a whopping 50 percent since the onset of the pandemic. And more than half of callers queried waited more than 30 minutes to receive a response. Earlier on in the pandemic, only 26 percent of those callers waited more than 30 minutes.

One quarter of consumers did not get their issues resolved during the first interaction with a contact center. Consumers also expressed frustration with 47 percent disgruntled over long hold times and 20 percent upset with a perceived lack of clear information from call center agents.

Contact centers could benefit from knowing that 76 percent of consumers would prefer to speak to a live agent when it comes to solving an issue, while only eight percent prefer to use a chatbot as their first interaction. Of those who chose to interact with a chatbot or voice assistant, only 24 percent were happy with the experience.

In terms of preparing for 2021, more than half of those surveyed said they plan on contacting a company directly to find information about travel plans, COVID vaccines and unemployment and benefits, among other issues.

Edited by Maurice Nagle