The 3rd edition of the Voice of the Contact Centre Consumer

London, 25^th May 2023: with thanks to the CCMA, UK consumers and professionals, Odigo is delighted to announce the release of the third edition of the Voice of the Contact Centre Consumer research. The results from a recent survey of 2000 UK consumers are now available to download alongside commentary and context from industry decision makers, providing a unique bilateral perspective on the state of service today. 

Within the UK you’d have to have had your head in the sand to think life is rosy for the average consumer. Financial concerns like rising energy costs, in what’s been named the cost-of-living crisis, are unsurprisingly having a negative effect on consumer opinion of customer service in general. Consumers are examining every aspect of service and price, as one of the experts in the report described from his own personal experience: 

“Because of the cost of living I’m having to do more financial management than ever. I’m reviewing my bills every month. I’m looking at my mortgage and my motor insurance. Whereas previously I might have just let them run over.”  Kirk Bradley, Director of Customer Services, Bupa 

For contact centres trying to balance their own costs as well as customer satisfaction and agent wellbeing this isn’t the time to guess the right CX strategy. A professional’s ‘guesstimate’ of current sentiment would probably be pretty accurate, but how this manifests as consumer habits and behaviours isn’t necessarily straightforward.   

The Voice of the Contact Centre Consumer research explores some important themes contact centre decision makers should consider when planning customer experience strategies: 

• What proportion of consumers are feeling financial strain? 
• How do age and finances influence perception? 
• What role do agents play in providing service in the current climate and how is it perceived?  
• How common is anger and upset during interactions? 
• Is the expectation for digital service reflected in consumer enthusiasm for self-service?  

It will be fascinating to see how the way we choose to act as an industry now, will unfold in next year’s results. 

“At Odigo, we firmly believe in the power of research to drive change and innovation in customer experience management. Through our collaboration with CCMA, we aim to elevate the customer experience landscape and adapt to the evolving expectations of empowered consumers.” Melissa Cowdry, Director of Field Marketing at Odigo  

Discover everything the Voice of the Contact Centre Consumer has to offer. 

Download the research here