 
New Delhi,India, November 22, 2013 : Â 75 percent of consumers indicated they would avoid buying from a company,
and more importantly, actively advise friends and family to do the same if they experienced bad customer service
— 69 percent of consumers will pay more to a company that always provides good service
— Video is gaining traction in India with adoption for customer service. Average of 14 percent of users saying they have engaged in a service interaction through video in the last three months
— 68 percent of customers across India agreed that service received from customer service centers has improved over the last 12 months
— 2013 saw a continuous increase in preference and adoption of mobile and online channels
Avaya, a global provider of enterprise communications systems, software and services today announced the latest findings of the Avaya Asia Pacific Customer Experience Index. The Index revealed continuous preference by Indian consumers for multichannel communications in customer service, with video emerging as a new customer service channel, and mobile (text messages, instant messaging platforms) as well as online (including website chat, video chat, social media) continuing to grow and deliver great customer satisfaction scores.
2 out of 3 customers likely to switch brands with bad service
Customer service remains a key influencer of brand loyalty, with 75 percent indicating they would avoid buying from a company, and more importantly, actively advise friends and family to do the same if they experienced bad customer service. The potential for business generation from satisfied customers is great, with approximately 2 in every 3 consumers from India prepared to pay more money to a company that provides them with excellent customer service (69%) with the majority of those being willing to pay at least 10-20% more . This is a trend which is set to continue, as the younger Gen Y segment shows even more inclination to do so than more mature consumers. 72 percent of those surveyed also indicated a preference for multichannel communications – demonstrating that companies now more than ever must have a fully integrated end to end multichannel customer experience strategy.
Mobile and Online key to customer satisfaction
While in-person communication (71 percent) and phone conversations (76 percent) continue to lead in terms of interaction volumes, 2013 saw a continuous increase in preference and adoption of mobile and online channels. An average of 4.6 channels are used by consumers when interacting with organizations. The Avaya Asia Pacific Customer Experience Index also points to opportunities for the Telco, Media or Utility industry segments to engage customers at various touch points, with highest utilization averaging 5.4 channels. While the Telco, Media or Utility industry leads in mobile and online adoption, the Health, Government and Education sector is the strongest in face to face as a channel for communication.
Video as the new kid on the block
Despite being a relatively new channel, with an average of 14 percent of users saying they have engaged in a service interaction through video in the last three months, the adoption of video chat is on the rise, especially in the finance, banking and insurance sector. Indonesia (41 percent) and Thailand (29 percent) lead in the adoption of video as a customer service channel. The rate of adoption of video is expected to grow across the board in 2014 by around 14 percent according to the survey. The main reasons for choosing video chat were virtual face to face interaction with the customer service representative (33%), ease of use (21%) and cost effectiveness (20%).
Crucially, consumers who have used video chat rate their experience very positively, 46% mention that they are ‘very happy’ with the experience and over three quarters (76%) agree that they would use it again if it were offered.
Service levels are improving
An average of 68 percent of customers across India agreed that service received from customer service centers has improved over the last 12 months. This is higher than the APAC average across the seven countries in the study which stands at 60 percent.
What businesses can learn from these results
Given the very evident desire among customers for multichannel communication, businesses must have the right capabilities to collaborate across platforms and agents to provide seamless, quality service regardless of contact points. As the adoption of service channels like mobile, online and video continues to rise, technology solutions that help manage these channels and provide customers with the seamless and ever-improving experience they demand are critical.
According to Frost & Sullivan 2012 Asia Pacific Contact Center Market Report , the Asia Pacific contact center industry remains as the fastest growing region for contact center services, growing at 8.4 percent. Alongside fast and high growth, this presents businesses with the opportunity to take customer service to the next level – and deliver quality service at every contact.
This is the sixth year of the Avaya Asia Pacific Customer Experience Index (formerly ‘Avaya Asia Pacific Contact Center Consumer Index’). In 2013, over 2,400 consumers from across the Asia Pacific region, located in Singapore, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and India, who were recent users of contact centers, were surveyed from August to September 2013. The study was conducted by Fifth Quadrant and sponsored by Avaya.
Quote:
“The importance of multichannel communication continues to grow, with the Avaya Asia Pacific Customer Experience Index results highlighting the potential and importance of channels including mobile, online and video. 70 percent of the people indicated a preference for multichannel communications – demonstrating that companies now more than ever must have a fully integrated end to end multichannel customer experience strategy. Video is also clearly starting to represent a significant opportunity for customer service differentiation. The Index makes compelling reading for anyone focused on driving a proactive Customer Experience Management strategy in India.” says
Johnson Varkey, Director, Contact Center Sales, Avaya, India and SAARC Â ,— (Business Wire India) — —
