Call-centres issues affect business

Businesses that operate a call centre could be sitting on a demographic time bomb that threatens their future. New research released today shows that nearly half of 25-44 year old consumers have changed suppliers because of a negative call centre experience, significantly higher than the national average of 35%. And what makes things worse is that seven out of ten UK buyers say they would probably or definitely tell someone about a poor call centre experience.

The new research, carried out by market researcher GfK NOP Consumer, coincides with the launch of the UK's biggest ever industry-wide mystery shopping study to find the country's Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service.

Dr. Max Blumberg, Customer Management Strategist and Visiting Researcher at the University of London, who specialises in motivating workforces, leadership teams and sales forces said: "This is very important news for bigger brands, who could be sitting on a demographic time bomb. They need to understand that the service provided by call centres is a key component of brand value in driving customer acquisition and repeat purchasing; it is no longer enough to focus on product and price alone. Consumers take a more holistic view of value when making purchasing decisions and the UK's most affluent demographic groups are most likely to wield their buying power by changing suppliers."