24 August 2007
Recent research by Transversal found that British banks are not delivering customer service online and this is not the first time they have been criticised.
Bank sites could not address 50% of routine questions on average. The majority rely on complex frequently asked questions pages, which contain static content so customers abandon their user journeys and pick up the phone instead. Also, 30% of the websites researched did not provide the opportunity to email queries in.
Efficient website, with usability built in, provide answers to routine queries lead to reduced call volumes to customer service centres and lowers operational costs. A fairly straight forward theory that banks are not benefiting from; this research shows that customers are better off calling banks’ call centres to have their queries answered.
Davin Yap, CEO for Transversal comments:
While previously online customers have had to cope with a lack of information we’re now seeing more content - but this makes finding the right answer as difficult as looking for a needle in a haystack. With the advent of Web 2.0 providing the ability to deliver a personalised service and improved interaction, banks need to wake up to the changing needs of their customers - or suffer the consequences as they shift accounts.
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