Consumer Edition

Published September 21, 2014

Getting to Know the Connected Consumer:

EXPERIENCES
PREFERENCES
PERCEPTIONS
EXPECTATIONS
Customer Experience Management Benchmark Series
Executive Summary

2014

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Find Out What Your Customers Want, Need, Think and Expect!
This years Consumer Edition of the Customer Experience Management
Benchmark Series brings into focus the experiences, preferences, perceptions
and expectations of todays connected consumer.
Canvasing nearly 20,000 individuals, this years surveying provides key consumer
insights into the primary channels of support for todays customer care
organizations. These channels include Traditional, Interactive, Mobile
and Social Media.
By aligning the focus of the Consumer Edition to match those of the Corporate
Edition, the Customer Experience Management Benchmark Series provides
complete coverage of both sides of the equation in exploration of todays
Customer Experience.
A Report Card for the Industry
If customer care organizations are looking for a key stat to rally around, its this:

78% of consumers feel that the customer service

departments of todays companies are generally
not meeting their needs and expectations.*
This number offers a significant opportunity for improvement, considering that
nearly 30% of all U.S. consumers have had at least one interaction with a brands
customer service department within the past 12 months. The expectations of
these consumers are expanding, which means organizations need to be extra
savvy with the strategies and tactics they use to move the needle forward. The
findings in this years Consumer Edition of the Customer Experience Management
Benchmark Series are a critical component in the development of a customer care
program that doesnt just meet consumer expectations, but exceeds them.
The complete 2014 Consumer Edition report is slated to be released
September 2224, 2014 at the Customer Response Summit in Memphis.
In the meantime, enjoy the accompanying infographic, which provides
a sampling of this years Consumer Edition findings.
Sincerely,
Digital Roots & Execs In The Know

*Methodology: Conducted by Google Consumer Surveys, May 12, 2014 May 13, 2014 and based on 244 online
responses. Sample: National adult Internet population. Methodology: Conducted by Google Consumer Surveys,
April 28, 2014 May 23, 2014 and based on 2,718 online responses. Sample: National adult Internet population.

Graphs Color Legend

The 2014 Consumer Series final report is organized around four

central themes Experiences, Preferences, Perceptions and
Expectations. Here is a sampling of the types of findings youll
discover under each respective theme:

Traditional Care

Mobile Care

Interactive Care

General (All Channels)

Social Media Care

EXPERIENCES
Percent of U.S. Population to Utilize Channel of Care Within the Past 12 Months:1
Most Commonly Contacted Industry By Channel of Care:2
28.7% 28.3%
15.4%

13.1%

All Channels: Telecom and Technology

Traditional Care: Telecom and Technology
Interactive Care: Telecom and Technology
Social Media Care: Retail
Mobile Care: Retail

10.6%

PREFERENCES

Top Two Preferences

50.7%

General Customer Care Users

(All Channels)

24.4%

Users of Traditional Care

46.9%

(Phone, Email, In-Person)

If you knew your customer service issue would be resolved regardless

of contact channel, which would be your preferred contact method?3

31.8%

Users of Interactive Care

54.7%

(Online/Video Chat, Self-Help)

26.4%
31.0%

Users of Social Media Care

(Twitter, Facebook, Forums)

25.8%
32.4%

Users of Mobile Care

(Apps, Text/SMS, Mobile Chat)

29.1%

PERCEPTIONS
In your opinion, which contact channel provides the most convenience when
trying to resolve an issue with a brands customer service department?4
5% 5%

10%
10%
50%
30%

EXPECTATIONS

In your opinion, which contact channel provides the highest likelihood of

resolving your issue when dealing with a brands customer service department?4

Perceptions
Convenience

Which characteristic of an interaction with a brands

customer service department is most important to you?5

25%

5% 5%

10%
10%

30%

65%

PerceptionsPerceptions
likely to resolve
issue
Convenience

50%

25%
65%

Perceptions
likely to resolve issue

Effective Issue Resolution

Immediacy/Fast Response
Ease and Convenience
Friendly/Personalized Approach

40.3%
20.9%
20.4%
18.4%

1 Methodology: Conducted by Google Consumer Surveys, April 28, 2014 June 9, 2014 and based on 2,718 online responses (General), 2,203 online responses (Traditional), 3,736 online responses (Interaction), 4,569 online responses (Mobile) and 4,238 online responses (Social
Media). Sample: National adult Internet population. 2 Methodology: Conducted by Google Consumer Surveys, May 12, 2014 May 23, 2014 and based on 201 online responses. Sample: National adult Internet population. 3 Methodology: Conducted by Google Consumer Surveys,
April 28, 2014 June 9, 2014 and based on 201 online responses (General), 218 online responses (Traditional), 201 online responses (Interactive), 201 online responses (Social Media) and 201 online responses (Mobile). 4 Methodology: Conducted by Google Consumer Surveys,
May 12, 2014 May 23, 2014 and based on 201 online responses. Sample: National adult Internet population. 5 Methodology: Conducted by Google Consumer Surveys, May 12, 2014 May 23, 2014 and based on 201 online responses. Sample: National adult Internet population.