Nearly half (47%) of consumers have experienced poor customer service from UK retailers over the past year, according to a new survey from Trustpilot.
The research showed that customers want fast, human responses with timely responses to queries (54%) most wanted. This was followed by being able to speak to a human rather than a chatbot (51%), and getting products or services on time (45%).
More than six in ten (61%) say that being able to speak to a human rather than a chatbot is something they would like to see more of this year, while a quarter (26%) want a more personalised service. Meanwhile, more than a third (35%) want to see quicker responses.
Consistent delivery updates (30%), and to receive empathy and understanding from customer service agents (26%) are also features consumers would like to see more of. Only one in ten (10%) said that they’d like to see an increased use of AI within customer service – a figure that jumps to one in six (16%) of Gen Z and Millennials and drops to just 7% and 3% among Gen X and Baby Boomers, respectively.
Negative reviews
The research showed that poor product quality and call centre experiences are the UK’s biggest customer service bugbears that would lead them to write a negative review. On average, it takes just 2.3 poor experiences for a customer to share their frustrations, according to Trustpilot.
Kate Delaney, VP of marketing at Trustpilot, said: “Customers are a critical part of any business, whatever the sector – if you don’t have a happy customer, you can’t grow a successful business. That’s why customer service is so key, and customers are ready to share their unique experiences via reviews, both positive and negative.”
“Our research reveals that UK service standards are inconsistent, with differences in the quality of service being offered across the UK. With this in mind, it’s time for businesses to take note and look to build back trust through human, empathetic, and communicative customer service.”
The study is based on a survey of more than 2,000 UK adults in May.
Stay informed
Our editor carefully curates two newsletters a week filled with up-to-date news, analysis and research. Click here to subscribe to the FREE newsletter sent straight to your inbox. Why not follow us on LinkedIn to receive the latest updates on our research and analysis?
