Vision - November/December 2007 - (Page 7)

© 2007 Accenture. All rights reserved. Your Users Demand Superior Customer Service. Do You Have the Capabilities to Meet their Needs? The Importance of Customer Service Superior customer service is one of the hallmarks of high-performance businesses. In fact, for high-tech companies, service that exceeds the industry norm has become virtually required to ensure repeat business. This observation is supported by recent Accenture research, which has found that even companies providing an "average" service experience are at risk of losing a substantial percentage of customers. Here's more evidence of the disparity: Seventy-seven percent of high-tech executives reported having implemented new customer self-service capabilities within the past two years-and a large majority believe these new capabilities have resulted in faster resolution of customer problems and higher customer satisfaction. But nearly half of the consumers in the Accenture survey said they have had to access customer service channels between two and four times to resolve their problems, and 18 percent said they have had to do so more than four times. And, despite companies' "new capabilities," 61 percent of consumers believe technology has not improved the service they receive from providers of high-tech products and services. platforms that are not only fiscally responsible but that also actually enhance the customer experience; high-powered agent desktop applications that give service representatives access to the customer, product, and transaction information they need to resolve customers' problems; and agent training and development programs to equip representatives with the skills and knowledge to engage customers in the most effective and appropriate ways. In short, we can help companies reinvent customer support and service to deliver a compelling service experience that differentiates them from competitors, strengthens customer loyalty and contributes to their pursuit of high performance in today's ever-challenging consumer electronics market. The Harsh Realities Yet many companies delude themselves into thinking that their service experiences truly please their customers-when, in fact, customers as a group are more angry than ever with service organizations. In the Accenture survey of executives at global electronics and high-tech companies, 80 percent of participants described the customer service satisfaction of their overall customer base as moderately or extremely high, and three-fourths believed customers' satisfaction with the service they receive is above average. Yet in an Accenture survey of global consumers, 57 percent of participants described themselves as somewhat upset, very upset or extremely upset when they accessed customer service channels from providers of high-tech products and services; and 78 percent believe their provider's customer service is at or below the level of service offered by competitors Going the Distance It's clear that there's a major difference of opinion between the high-tech companies and customers in our surveys on the state of customer service-and that organizations have a long way to go before their customer service capabilities provide the experience customers seek. Accenture can help companies narrow this gap by building the distinctive service capabilities that contribute to high performance. These capabilities include robust and appropriate customer self-service Want to know how you stack up with the other companies in our survey? Take our online customer service and support self assessment at accenture.com/ceavision3 http://accenture.com/ceavision3 http://accenture.com/ceavision3

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Vision - November/December 2007

Vision - November/December 2007 Contents Shapiro's Spectrum In This Issue The Economist C4 Visionary Tech Speak Going Global Eye on Business Tech Policy Special Supplement: CES Unveiled 2008 CES Technologies to Watch Eastern Europe Embraces CE M&A Fest Displaying the Future CEA Newsline Market Insider Just the Stats

Vision - November/December 2007

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