Among the report's key findings:
- Brands with advanced communications (as defined by the number of channels, first-contact resolutions rates, and channel investment) have significantly higher NPS and CSAT scores and revenue growth than other businesses
- COVID-19 has accelerated digital use. More than a third of consumers say they’re buying more online than before the start of the pandemic. Furthermore, over half of the consumers have increased their use of third-party messaging and chat to communicate with brands
- Consumers want speed in their preferred channel — and are increasingly turning to messaging and chat because they find it more convenient. This is especially so for younger consumers and those seeking customer service.
- “Asynchronous” chat (defined as people using messaging platforms to contact each other without both parties needing to be concurrently active in the conversation) provides significant benefits over traditional ways of requesting customer service — such as phone calls, emails, and live chat which require communication in real-time. Forrester found that the benefits of investment in asynchronous chat increased contact centre efficiency and improved customer loyalty.
The Forrester Research was commissioned by Google.
*Google commissioned Forrester Consulting to evaluate consumer preferences for brand communications and how well brands are meeting those expectations. To do so, Forrester surveyed 1,027 US consumers
and 441 US customer communication decision-makers at B2C brands
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