Why Customers Stray or Stay

Was it really two decades ago that “customer experience” bubbled up as a business strategy? Then, of course, Apple, Starbucks, and others proved beyond doubt that the right experience can trump even price in a brutal market. And now, many industry leaders have retooled systems and retrained employees to make
“branded experience” a core competitive strategy. But with evolving technology and growing customer savvy, this long journey has been strewn with revelations:


WHY YOUR CUSTOMERS STAY OR STRAY: INSIGHT FROM GLOBAL CUSTOMER

Now that industry leaders have raised the bar for all, how do customers feel about their experiences with the
companies they patronize? What kind of experience do customers really expect? And how often do unhappy
customers share their stories with the world? We sought answers to these and other questions with
an online survey of 5,500 consumers in Asia (China, Singapore, and Taiwan), Europe (Germany and the
U.K.), and the Americas (Brazil and the U.S.). The survey asked consumers to describe their experiences
with organizations, identify employee behaviors they like and dislike, and evaluate common service
practices. Our aim—by comparing customer opinions and attitudes in major world markets—was to identify
universal expectations that defi ne a positive customer experience. What follow are highlights in six areas.

The Power of Emotion
Survey respondents were extremely clear about what matters, and the priority of what matters, to them.
What matters most is the emotional impact of their interactions with front-line employees:

• In every country surveyed, respondents told us that being heard and respected are more important than
having their issue resolved.

• Forty-six percent of all respondents identified “rudeness or indifference,” and 50 percent identifi ed
“no concern for my problem” among their top three negative in-person behaviors.

• Only 25 percent of respondents worldwide said that employees “make me feel they are on my side.”
Negative Employee Behaviors The customer’s experience is largely defined by the words and actions of front-line employees. Respondents bluntly told us what they dislike about these interactions:

• The top three negative in-person behaviors worldwide were all interpersonal, primarily affecting the customer’s emotional response.

• The top three negative phone behaviors were all interpersonal and varied little across global regions:
“being transferred multiple times,” “not getting a real person,” and “being put on hold.”

• Forty-four percent of all respondents said employees demonstrate poor behavior by “often” or “always”
using “scripted or canned” responses.

• More than forty percent worldwide said they get annoyed when an employee “talks to me about things
other than the problem I am trying to resolve,” for example up-selling or cross-selling.