(London, January 2007) New research from Connection amongst over 1,000 UK consumers has revealed that personalised customer support makes people between three times and six times more likely to make further purchases from the company, depending on its industry sector. Investment companies benefit most from customer service excellence and personalised communications (5.8 times more likely to buy) and Utility firms the least (3.5 times more likely to buy).
These findings follow on from a Connection research project in late 2006, which defined the key factors that consumers value most from the companies they buy from. People consider personalised, intelligent and convenient contact the most important elements of added value a company can offer. Friendliness and product knowledge come top of the list for what consumers consider real value from a company. Next comes extended opening hours or availability on the phone. Third is the ability to recognise the customer, their profile and deal with them appropriately and personally.
This insight provides organisations with a timely warning to invest in database marketing which treats customers in a personalised and intelligent fashion however they choose to interact with a company – in person, over the phone, on the web or through the mail and email. Joined-up contact is driving bottom-line results and competitive advantage.
Graham Ede, CEO, Connection, comments, “People most value the ability to contact a commercial organisation whenever and wherever convenient to themselves, and when they make that contact, be personally recognised and receive answers and targeted offers from people who know what they are talking about. These research findings help to emphasize how much we, as consumers, appreciate value of convenient access and intelligent response, to the extent that it makes us 3-6 times as likely to buy from organisations that treat us in the way.”
