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Are you being engaged? Bored staff wish away time and customers
18/06/2012
By Daniel Hunter
As Britain readies to serve the world at the London Olympics, new research reveals a pressing lack of engagement among UK frontline service staff.
Consumers complain of bored and disinterested staff working in high street shops and utilities companies, according to the study among 2,000 consumers by the Institute of Customer Service.
Meanwhile, UK businesses may be missing an opportunity to maximize revenues, as one in four consumers are willing to pay more for their goods and services — on average 5% more — for better service.
The research also reveals the extent to which ‘moments of truth’ — particularly good or bad customer service experiences — stick in the mind of consumers, driving them to spend and recommend, or the opposite.
Are you being served?
The Institute measured engagement levels of customer-facing staff by asking consumers to rate service personnel on a range of relevant factors, from the passion, enthusiasm and boredom levels, to the knowledgeability, helpfulness, and sense of pride they display.
Retail and utilities fared worst, with enthusiasm (6.3) and passion for the job (6.2) rated poorly on a scale of one to ten.
When asked how bored employees seemed, consumers rated staff in high street retail as 5.7 and utilities companies as 5.1.
At the opposite end of the scale, perhaps surprisingly consumers rate banks highly in terms of staff engagement, finding their customer services professionals to be the most friendly (7.8), helpful (7.7) and enthusiastic (7.1).
Paying for service
One in four consumers (24%) would be prepared to pay more for an excellent service experience; on average 5% more, but ranging in some instances to as much as 10%.
Ultimately, consumers want the right balance between price and service, the study reveals. When asked to choose a point on a scale between those two factors, the largest proportion of consumers chose a middling... continued on page two >
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