The survey of more than a 1,000 consumers lifts the lid on customer expectations, and shows the extent to which brands are falling short in satisfying their consumers.
The research reveals that millennials (ages 18 to 24) are by far the most demanding generation, with 55 per cent expecting a response within the hour, compared to 41 per cent of people aged 35 to 54. And men are the more demanding gender when it comes to customer service demands, with 23 per cent expecting a near immediate response to a query, whereas women seem to be more realistic (15 per cent).
Further evidence shows that customer service habits are changing, especially when it comes to the preferred method of contact, with more than three in five (62%) UK adults revealing they only call a 0800 or other toll-free numbers for customer service issues as a last resort.
“As technology has evolved, so too has the need for immediacy in customer communications,” said Fabrice Etienne, Marketing Director, Lithium Technologies, EMEA. “Brands need to do more to meet their customers’ expectations by engaging them online, or risk losing them to more digitally-advanced companies.”