Brands need multi-channel customer service, and fast

Brands need to invest in customer service across all consumer touchpoints in Singapore as more consumers want their problems solved through new media such as social, live chat and messaging, according to a new report from Zendesk.

Surveying more than 500 Singaporean consumers, the research found that brand equity is increasingly on the line if expectations aren’t met, with 89% of respondents saying a quick response to an initial inquiry is significant when considering buying from a brand. Three-quarters of those surveyed expect customer services to be faster than it was five years ago.

Moreover, 94% said bad service negatively affects consumer behaviour, while 86% said good service positively influences it.

Perhaps most telling for brands is that while consumers remember and speak about both good and bad customer service, 47% reported ongoing negative influence over their purchase behaviour two years or more after a bad experience.

As well as responding quickly, more brands in Singapore need to coordinate their customer service across multiple platforms. Telephone and email remain the most popular channels, but new services are growing in use.