BT Avaya AutonomousCustomerAsia-Pacific Report 2012

March 2012

Meeting the demands of consumers in the future

THE AUTONOMOUSCUSTOMER ASIA-PACIFIC

Contents

2

1Introduction from BT Global Services and AvayaPage 3

2Executive SummaryPage 6

3Background and MethodologyPage 9

4Introducing the autonomous customer in Asia-PacificPage 10

5How should organisations in Asia-Pacific reconnect with the autonomous customer?Page 16

6B2B autonomous customersPage 29

Introduction from BT Global Services and Avaya

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Customers are vital to any organisation, and success depends on keeping them happy. Today’s customers want timely, personalised and easy access to services – wherever they are, at any time of day, through any device. They ask more varied and complex questions. They expect their enquiry to be dealt with by an informed expert, irrespective of which channel they choose.

As well as meeting these rising customer expectations, organisations are under increasing pressure to deliver more for less. So it’s easy to see why the global contact centre industry, caught between rising customer expectations and the need for business efficiency, has reached a tipping point that is driving organisations to change the way they work and service their customers.

The contact centre ‘mission’ used to be to process lots of calls, fast. But it’s no longer that simple. The demands being placed on contact centre staff are increasingly complex and technical as consumers become better informed. The

traditional contact centre model is breaking down and being integrated with new technologies.

This consumer research will help you understand the impact of these changing behaviours on the way you manage your customers. It follows on from two studies. First, in 2008, a study called Fragvergence: Changing consumer attitudes to diverse contact channels. ‘Fragvergence’ described two trends in the marketplace: convergence and fragmentation. As communication devices, networks and software converge in capability, their use is increasingly fragmented. Second, in 2011, The Autonomous Customer looked at the key changes in UK and US consumer behaviour and channel choice.

This study, The Autonomous Customer in Asia-Pacific looks at the key changes in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India and Singapore. It explores the changes in consumer channel usage which are common across these markets, and identifies the differences. B2B and internal communication is examined to help large multi-nationals improve the working lives of their colleagues.


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What are the main findings?Communication devices are changing the way people work and play. Customers have embraced new technology more dramatically than the organisations that serve and employ them. These changes are driving the emergence of the autonomous customer in Asia-Pacific – time poor, less loyal to brands, researching their purchases, favouring self service, using social media and embracing multichannel contact.

■■ The vast majority (79%) are ‘shopper swots’ who use the Internet to plan and research before they buy, read product reviews and take up self-service options.

■■ Being time poor, the autonomous customer generally regards self-service as a good thing. It puts them in control, and 54% prefer self-service as no one tries to sell them anything.

■■ 52% prefer to deal with organisations over the Internet, but also want additional support. They will reach for the phone when they can’t help themselves, need advice, or get frustrated. 63% will recommend an organisation based on its phone service, which reflects the way that more complex and emotive issues are handled.

■■ However, 65% say they continually change their preferred contact channel depending on where they are and what they’re doing.

■■ The autonomous customer often cuts organisations out of the loop entirely. 51% trust the advice of unknown others on independent forums and review sites over an organisation’s own forums.

■■ 1 in 4 use social media for customer service and in the future want organisations to respond to their comments using a range of channels.

■■ Almost half of them (46%) regard customer loyalty as a thing of the past.

■■ Some 79% of customers say they’ll buy more from companies that make it easier to do business.

■■ The growing number of smartphone users display the above behaviours even more strongly than online consumers.


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5

Over two-thirds of respondents had access to smartphones. The research shows smartphone users are leading edge customers – and they may provide key insights into the future of consumer behaviour.

They operate in both the real and virtual world, are usually well informed, and, as a consequence, can be extremely demanding. 39% of them have used barcode scanning apps to compare in-store prices when deciding where to buy. They’re more likely to challenge staff when they feel they haven’t got a bargain or, more critically, have spotted an inconsistency in information between the real and online world.

Smartphone users are using all channels, with 44% calling contact centres to seek advice after they’ve looked things up online or via an App on their smartphone.

By the time they hit the organisation, they’re often better informed than the frontline advisers who answer their call.

50% of autonomous customers in Asia-Pacific have used social media to follow a brand. These customers are using social media widely to make comments, compliments, complaints and suggestions to organisations, and have varying expectations of how the organisations should respond.

Connectivity is driving the autonomous customer, with Asian consumers leading their UK and US compatriots in demanding the use of old and new channels when communicating with companies and government. Unless organisations respond using the appropriate channels and expertise, they risk being bypassed altogether. Understanding how customer behaviour is changing will help organisations to devise strategies to improve the customer experience across all channels.

70% saythey often know more about the product or problem than the agent in the organisation’s call centre

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Executive summary

2Customer autonomy is the new trend in consumer behaviour that challenges the existing customer relationship strategies of both companies and public sector organisations.

The autonomous customer is independent, well informed, influenced more by other consumers than by brands, and is turning away from trusting organisations as sources of advice. This is the conclusion from research carried out in 2011 with 1,000 online consumers in the UK and US. Follow-up research completed in 2012, analysing 2,500 online consumers in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India and Singapore, shows customers are moving faster than the organisations which serve them. They are managing their own customer relationships and are increasingly reducing the influence and role of brands and institutions.

For many years, organisations have tried to build relationships through CRM systems, loyalty schemes and online marketing. Despite requiring considerable investment, this effort is under threat from the autonomous customer.

Why do I need to focus on autonomous customers in Asia-Pacific?Significant changes in attitudes and behaviour mean that autonomous customers are challenging loyalty towards organisations through a variety of means:

■■ Shopper swots – Across these Asia-Pacific markets 79% plan their purchases and carry out product research on the Internet before they interact or buy.

■■ Internet self-service is no longer a second rate solution - 67% of online consumers agree self-service is good because it puts them in control.

■■ Customers helping customers - Consumers are helping each other, with 45% of respondents contributing to online review sites such as Trip Advisor, and 51% saying they

trust online customer forums more than an organisation’s own website.

■■ Turning away from brands and institutions - Some 46% of online consumers say loyalty to companies is a thing of the past.

■■ Super-charged by smartphones - For the two-thrids of online consumers in our survey with a BlackBerry, iPhone, Android or other smartphone, the autonomous customer behaviours are multiplied. For example, 63% of smartphone users say they use online vouchers to get the best prices, compared to 41% of others.

Welcome to a Multichannel futureThe wide range of new channels and technologies – smartphones, webchat, social media, location-based services, iPads, etc – means there are many ways of contacting organisations. Consumers want channel options:

Although the phone (71%), e-mail (67%), internet self-service (55%) and face-to-face (46%) are the top future channels for contacting organisations, other options like SMS (40%), Website FAQs (37%), Online forum (27%), webchat (26%), Facebook (RenRen, Kaixin 001) (24%) and Video conferencing (15%) are increasingly popular options.

Contrary to what some believe, the 16–24 year old age group enjoy going to the shops as much as older consumers. And they are almost as likely as their parents and grandparents to want to use the phone and e-mail to contact organisations.

65% saythey continually change how they contact an organisation

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Executive summary

2How do I reconnect with autonomous, multichannel customers in Asia-Pacific?

If consumers are turning away from organisations, instead using other sources of information and advice from online communities, how can organisations reconnect with their customers and renew their loyalty and relationships?

There are two key areas that organisations need to focus on in their response to the autonomous customer:

■■ making contact easier■■ integrating service across multi channels.

1. Reduce the effort consumers use to interact by phone and website – 79% of respondents agreed with the statement: I buy more from companies that make it easier for me to do business with them.

2. Use automated phone and voice self service where possible to reduce the cost of inbound and outbound contact - Some 42% say they prefer automated phone services for speed.

3. Drive internet self-service - 54% of respondents say: I like to purchase online because no one tries to sell me anything. Overall, consumers value internet self-service for its anonymity, speed and choice. But organisations need to provide more support - 52% of consumers want online support services, such as web chat and phone.

4. Overcome lengthy security – 70% of consumers say: I’m often asked to repeat my account details on the same call, which is irritating. ID&V is expensive for organisations and time consuming for consumers. 56% agree they like the idea of being identified by voice biometrics.

5. Harness the willingness of customers to help each other – people are increasingly turning to online reviews and advice and 52% agree to the statement: when I want to sort out a problem I increasingly use online forums.

6. Use the phone to build relationships – As simple queries go online, there are opportunities to use contact centres to engage with customers and deal with emotional or complex queries. 62% say: the calls I make to organisations are more complex as I’m doing simple things via their website.

7. Social media interaction –. There is an emerging opportunity to respond to the 29% who want to interact with organisations’ customer services using social media. Tracking complaints, comments and suggestions is one thing, but deciding how to respond requires customer knowledge.

8. Deploy experts – Rather than struggling with first line support, 89% of respondents say they are: always or sometimes happy to be transferred to another person who is trained to answer more complicated queries. Overall, 81% agree that: a good experience with a call centre agent impacts positively on my loyalty towards an organisation.

9. Embrace mobile service – Smartphone users are even more likely to phone organisations, but they also look for a wider range of ways to handle those interactions. Also, customer proactive service apps, location based services and mobile payments are in demand.

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Executive summary

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10. Video - 27% of Asia-Pacific online consumers say it would add value if video conferencing was available with sales assistants while they are shopping online. 31% of consumers from China say it would add value if they could use video on their phone calls to organisations.

11. Understanding customers - The end point of the drive to reconnect with the autonomous customer is to understand customers across all contact points by using CRM and analytics. Whether it’s through cross-selling on the phone, proactive web-chat, marketing offers through e-mail, websites or mobiles, all channels need

to be tied together and data used to improve service. Some 45% agree: it would really add value if the offers of services and products organisations made to me were more relevant.

12. Contact centre at the core – The range of new channels and the complexity of customer interactions means the contact centre increasingly needs to be at the core of customer communications. It is the way disparate channels including the phone, internet, mobile, web-chat, video and outbound communications will be tied together through CRM intelligence.THE AUTONOMOUS CUSTOMER IN ASIA-PACIFIC

Source: BT GS / Avaya / Davies Hickman 2012

AUSTRALIA

• Demanding customers

• Cautious about sharing personal info

• 56% want to email same agent speak to in call centre [49%]

• 87% do not want to deal with overseas call centres [70%]

• 79% say agents struggle to answer my queries [71%]

CHINA• Fast moving

• Major adopters of mobile technology

• 56% like automated phone service for speed [42%]

• 73% like purchasing online because no one tries to sell you anything [54%]

• 76% like self-service because it puts me in control [67%]

HONG

• Willing to buy if more businesses make it easier

• Apple products popular

• 73% choose phone as favourite future channel [71%]

• 85% want message to confirm delivery of goods [85%]

• 45% say it would really add value if organisations always offered different channels [43%]

KONGINDIA

• Understand service culture

• Want new channels

• 76% say voice biometrics would save time [56%]

• 42% want personalised messages while waiting for phone to be answered [32%]

• 62% like automated phone services for bill enquiries [51%]

SINGAPORE

• Multichannel but favour the phone

• Time pressured

• 51% use social media to get special offers [43%]

• 61% say they know about good service because they provide it in their own job [59%]

• 51% want automated phone service for checking delivery times [49%]

UK• Less trusting of organisations

• Want better service

• 65% would rather phone than use FAQ’s on a website [64%]

• 86% want emails answered within two hours [77%]

• 89% say buy more from companies that make it easy [79%]

US• Expect high service levels

• Use website and webchat for customer service

• 59% if I could have my questions answered by a real person while I’m shopping online [52%]

• 77% often asked to repeat details on same call [70%]

• 60% recommended an organisation based on phone service [53%]

[ ] Percentages in brackets are average across Australia, China, Hong Kong, India and Singapore.

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Background and Methodology

3This report presents the findings from research commissioned by BT Global Services and Avaya and carried out by Davies Hickman Partners (www.davieshickman.com). 2,500 online consumers were interviewed in December 2011, 500 in each of the following countries: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India and Singapore. The samples in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore were representative of the whole country in terms of age, gender and geography. By comparison, the samples in China and India were more wealthy and urban than the average, and therefore indicative of the consumer that many large multi-nationals are targeting for their services.

The aim was to understand how consumer attitudes to dealing with organisations are changing. The research is a follow-up to previous studies: Autonomous Customer in UK and USA (2011) and Fragvergence: Changing consumer attitudes to diverse contact channels (2008).

research & analysisMarketing & Service Innovation

The research, data and views in this paper have been prepared in good faith but neither Avaya, BT Global Services or the authors of the reports can be held responsible for any actions or otherwise taken by those reading the paper.

For many years, organisations in Asia-Pacific have worked hard to build their relationships with customers through offering good service, loyalty schemes and other CRM tools. But changes in consumer behaviour and access to a wide range of new channels are driving the emergence of the autonomous customer – an independent and less predictable end-user.

What are the drivers of the autonomous customer in Asia-Pacific?

Introducing the autonomous customer

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Plan and researchDespite consumers being pressed for time, 79% plan their purchases and carry out their own product research before they buy. 39% scan products in-store for best prices and 77% check online reviews before buying to ensure they make the right choice. Armed with all this extra knowledge, they are often better informed than in-store staff.

Internet self-service Overall, 52% of online consumers agree that: self-service is good because it puts me in control. The frustrations of inaccurate frequently asked questions, endless searches and clunky purchasing journeys have given way to a more seamless self-service experience on the internet.

How are customers changing?

1:2never have enough time

46%say loyalty to companies is a thing of the past

79%plan and research all purchases

54%prefer self-service as no one tries to sell you anything

64%use social media more than 2 to 3 times a week

65%continually change how they want to contact an organisation

% agreeing % agreeing

42% 45% 39% 46% 40% 41%39%

34% 17% 41% 18% 17% 17%13%

agree slightly

agree strongly

10

Self-service is good because it puts me in control


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Australia China HK India Singapore

Follow a company or brand to learn about their services

27% 74% 43% 59% 55%

Follow a brand because you think its great

21% 52% 28% 47% 42%

Get customer service from a company

8% 53% 27% 35% 24%

Buy a product or service 9% 54% 22% 33% 24%

Get special offers and vouchers 26% 55% 39% 47% 51%

Make a complaint about a company

8% 30% 12% 27% 17%

Social media fuelling customersThe ‘collaborative consumer’ has been widely predicted and is becoming a reality through social media. Consumers are increasingly turning away from organisations and are asking each other for advice and recommendations instead. Some 56% said they: trust customer forums more than an organisation’s website.

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4Turning away from brands and institutionsSome 46% of online consumers say loyalty to companies is a thing of the past. Some CRM targeting is not helping matters, with 39% of respondents agreeing: it would really add value if the offers and products organisations made to me were more relevant.

Super-charged by smartphonesFor the two-thirds or more online consumers in Asia-Pacific who have a Blackberry, iPhone, Android or other smartphone, these behaviours are multiplied. These consumers have the power of information in their hands and are using it to interact with organisations when shopping and working. 42% want access to their desktop through a secure PC or mobile.

These drivers combine to create the autonomous customer and fuel the on-going trend of the public becoming more demanding. Some 59% say: I know about good service because I provide customer service in my own job.

Channel adoption is fragmentingIn spite of the success of smartphones, consolidation of communication into one device has yet to occur. Consumers use different technologies for different purposes, for example the iPad is popular for its large screen, while people are happier to have long calls on iPhones, and webchat on their PCs. The data show some consumers use mobile broadband for on-the-go internet access, while others use Wi-Fi in cafes and airports.

Smartphone users compared to online consumers

Agreeing with the statement…

Have Smartphone

No Smartphone

I use online reviews to check product quality

81% 68%

I contribute to online forums and reviews

50% 32%

Get customer service from a company using social media

35% 16%

Made a complaint to a company using social media

21% 13%

I have recommended an organisation based on the way it uses social media

49% 32%

I’m an active user of loyalty schemes

65% 56%

I use online vouchers to get the best prices

63% 41%

I enjoy going to the shops more than online shopping

54% 62%

63% of smartphone users

have phoned a call centre in the last month, compared to 49% of other customers

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40% 43% 39% 33% 32% 33%32%

32% 17% 28% 23% 22% 24%19%

sometimes

always

It would really add value if the offers and products organisations made to me were more relevant


4

Male Female 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

PC or Mac 86% 80% 76% 85% 85% 80% 82% 89%

iPad 31% 29% 22% 38% 36% 25% 24% 29%

Other tablet computer 13% 15% 12% 18% 18% 14% 11% 6%

Blackberry 10% 14% 9% 15% 13% 8% 12% 15%

iPhone 34% 38% 32% 49% 42% 34% 26% 23%

Android Smartphone 32% 30% 34% 42% 34% 25% 26% 19%

Other Smartphone 20% 21% 25% 18% 21% 18% 20% 21%

Other mobile/cell phone 37% 39% 37% 34% 37% 39% 46% 42%

Mobile broadband for laptop eg dongle

35% 33% 34% 41% 39% 30% 31% 22%

Wi-fi for lap top or smartphone in shops, hotels, airports, etc

46% 41% 48% 56% 50% 38% 37% 23%

65% agree

I continually change how I contact an organisation e.g. in store, web, phone as it depends on my situation

A multichannel future?Consumers across Asia-Pacific have an ever growing list of technologies at their disposal when they choose to contact organisations. Although the middle-age groups have the greatest number of technologies, older online consumers are not far behind.

A striking characteristic of the autonomous customer is their preference for using a range of channels to contact organisations.

Consumers feel certain channels are more suited for specific purposes, with the internet being favoured for research and face-to-face contact preferred for complex tasks.

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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Researchingwhich product orservice is most

suitable

Comparing thebest prices

Buying theproduct or

service

Querying billsand accounts

Getting help toanswer basic

customerservice

questions

Getting help toanswer difficult

customerservice

questions

Makingcomplaints

E-mail

Home phone

Internet self-service

Face to face in store

Autonomous customers prefer a multichannel strategy going forward, using a mix of traditional and new channels to contact organisations, depending on their device, mood and the occasion.

Which of these methods of contacting organisations do you use currently?

Australia China HK India Singapore UK USA

Phone call to a call centre 82% 63% 77% 70% 76% 86% 84%

E-mail to an organisation 74% 62% 64% 78% 75% 80% 73%

Face to face in store 71% 41% 64% 53% 56% 69% 69%

Internet site of an organisation 63% 52% 40% 65% 59% 69% 68%

Frequently Asked Questions on an organisations internet site

45% 47% 29% 43% 45% 53% 55%

Phone call to a call centre in another country

42% 20% 17% 30% 21% 50% 35%

Phone call to an automated or IVR phone service

34% 41% 39% 46% 39% 46% 43%

Post/direct mail 34% 22% 22% 36% 22% 50% 26%

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Purpose affects channel choice


4

Which of these methods of contacting organisations do you use currently?


Text/SMS message 20% 36% 24% 55% 38% 21% 13%

Online forum for customers on an organisations website

15% 42% 17% 30% 25% 21% 25%

Facebook or other social networking site (RenRen, Kaixin 001)

12% 19% 28% 36% 26% 13% 16%

Online forum run by customers of the same organisation on the internet

12% 31% 12% 28% 20% 15% 19%

Mobile Apps 12% 24% 19% 24% 19% 7% 11%

Web chat conversation with an organisation

10% 47% 19% 25% 14% 13% 26%

Twitter/Weibo 2% 30% 7% 18% 7% 3% 6%

Video conferencing 2% 12% 6% 16% 7% 2% 4%

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How should organisations reconnect with the autonomous customer?

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If consumers in general are turning away from organisations and seeking out alternative sources of information and advice from online communities, how can organisations reconnect with their customers to build satisfaction and loyalty?

Improve ease of businessOrganisations are finding it more difficult to ‘lock-in’ consumers to long-term relationships as the ability to switch between service providers is driven forward by technology. One way to attract and retain the time-starved consumers who value convenient transactions is to improve their ease of doing business.

Strategy firstThe channel strategy of any organisation depends on the overall proposition in terms of price, product quality, brand, customer type and industry. For some, a wide range of channels and good-quality customer service, even at a high price, will be essential. Equally, others make the case that price is the key driver behind customers’ decision making.

But channel strategy cannot be developed in isolation from the changing behaviour of consumers, and people now expect a multichannel offering. Even from the government sector, the public expect good quality customer service.

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5

87% of respondents

think the government should offer the same service standards as companies

The two key areas that organisations need to focus on in their response to the autonomous customer are:

■■ making contact easier■■ integrating service across omni channels

Making contact easier Unless your overall proposition is unique, the gradual shift in power from producer to consumer means that most organisations need to work with the changing expectations that go with multi channel access.

Making it easier for customers to do business fits well with the current vogue for focusing on customer effort scores, in addition to NPS and customer satisfaction. Organisations need to make interaction as fast, simple and effective as possible.

The phone remains a key channel for support. As many 16-24 year-old consumers use it to contact organisations as 45-54 year-olds. All the Asia-Pacific markets show high phone usage and rate it as the most trustworthy channel to receive customer service.


84% 68% 78% 77% 89% 82%78%


61% 58% 62% 56% 58% 54%57%

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I have called a call centre in the last month

I buy more from companies that make it easier for me to do business with them


5

Our research shows that consumers are looking for improvements in the phone channel, including better call back, queuing and tailored messaging systems.

Making the phone easier to use

% agreeing it would really add value Australia China HK India Singapore

If organisations offered a free or toll free telephone number for customer service calls

75% 56% 56% 70% 67%

If organisations offer to call you back when you are in a long queue, holding your place

68% 46% 54% 61% 63%

It would really add value if there were messages tailored to me with good offers or reminders while I wait for the phone to be answered

18% 41% 31% 42% 29%

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5

Automated voice/push button self-service for speedMany large banks and utility companies in the US are using voice self-service to resolve fully more than 50% of call centre traffic. But using this technology requires identification of simple tasks and excellent usability to meet the need of ‘ease of doing business’.

42% say

they prefer automated phone services for speed

Which of the following could voice self-service be used for?

Australia India HK Singapore China

Bill or account enquiries 40% 62% 50% 49% 56%

Checking delivery times 45% 54% 52% 51% 45%

Store location or opening hours 49% 46% 49% 46% 40%

Checking train/plane/bus timetables 43% 54% 43% 43% 45%

Directory number assistance 44% 47% 45% 37% 51%

Customer satisfaction surveys 32% 54% 39% 40% 51%

Getting you through to the right person 45% 49% 44% 44% 28%

Top-up mobile phone 34% 49% 24% 30% 49%

Stock/product availability 31% 41% 36% 39% 29%

Activate a mobile phone or credit card 29% 49% 29% 28% 42%

Buying cinema tickets 26% 44% 36% 33% 31%

Repeat purchases 25% 39% 22% 36% 34%

Stock/share prices 18% 34% 38% 25% 42%

Paying off credit card 20% 40% 24% 26% 43%

Vote in an election 28% 34% 22% 14% 26%

Making a bet or entering a prize draw 17% 23% 23% 16% 26%

Set up direct debit 13% 26% 14% 9% 26%

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5

Consumers are open to the use of outbound voice self-service as a way of improving service and reducing inbound call queries for reassurance and clarification. This form of proactive service strategy needs to be integrated into other systems to ensure that messaging is consistent with actions.

Is offshoring an alternative to automated phone services?Many companies have had success in offshoring calls to India, the Philippines, Egypt, Eastern Europe and South Africa. But consumers remain cautious about this change, with 70% saying: If I have a problem or complicated query, I do not want to deal with overseas call centres. This feeling is strongest in Australia, the UK and US, where 68% prefer automated phone services where possible.

Organisations are considering ringing up customers using Voice Recognition phone services to advise them of particular situations. For which of the following do you think organisations should use these services?


To advise a large number of houses when supply of electricity or gas will be resumed

86% 87% 84% 89% 76% 85% 86%

To confirm delivery of goods to your house

83% 81% 85% 90% 86% 86% 87%

To let you know if your train / plane / bus will be late

79% 78% 82% 88% 83% 78% 86%

To confirm an appointment you have with a doctor or specialist

80% 75% 71% 80% 84% 75% 86%

To let you know about a national emergency

87% 77% 72% 80% 78% - -

To let you know when unusual amounts have been used on your credit card

74% 79% 79% 82% 77% - -

To report local crime in your area 64% 66% 57% 68% 67% - -

To make marketing offers to you 21% 74% 56% 59% 53% - -

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5

Drive internet self-service through agent supportOrganisations are looking to use proactive web-chat and dynamic websites to drive customer interaction and sales. Consumers value the autonomy of self-service, with 58% of respondents agreeing: sometimes I just prefer not to speak to anyone and get things sorted using Internet self-service. Increasingly, consumers are seeking to undertake more complex tasks online and need support during this process

If I could email the same agent I speak to in a call centre

If my emails to organizations were always answered within 2 hours

from contact centre agents. Web-chat, click to call, co-browsing, video-chat and e-mail all have potential to play a role, but add to the channels which need to be integrated into the contact centre. Looking to the future, consumers expect web-chat to be one of the fastest growing channels, rising from 22% at present to 32% in the future. E-mail is the second most popular channel overall, and faster responses times are expected.

% agreeing

nice to have

it would really add value

56%

42%

39%

55%

52%

61%

59%

39%

54%

44%

39%

43%

31%

38%

43%

43%

43%

38%

42%

27%

38%

55%

52%

53%

60%

54%

69%

57%

The phone and e-mail need integration

21


5

Overcome customer security concernsConsumer concerns over security remain a significant barrier to the up-take of contact centre services. This is particularly the case when a consumer is using some channels infrequently. There is a range of usability and technology enhancements that can improve the ease of use, and those may help to resolve the situation in which people are worried about security, but nonetheless get annoyed when security requirements slow down their interactions.

Security and ID&V (identification and verification) is also an issue for calls, as it is time consuming for customers and expensive for organisations. People are open to voice biometrics, a technology that some well known brands are beginning to use.

61% agree

I have so many passwords I sometimes find it difficult to access accounts, websites, services etc


68% 50% 76% 51% 47% 49%35%

Security acting as a barrier to customer phone experience

% agreeing strongly and slightly Australia China HK India Singapore UK USA

It takes too long for organisations to identify me when I phone the call centre

46% 65% 56% 65% 55% 54% 50%

I am often asked to repeat my account details on the same call which is irritating

64% 73% 72% 74% 65% 71% 77%

I worry about security when dealing with organisations over the phone

46% 52% 49% 67% 50% 52% 45%

If organisations like my bank or utility phone me for a good reason, I sometimes worry they might be fraudsters trying to get my personal details

66% 65% 68% 74% 67% 69% 70%

I like the idea of organisations using technology to identify me by my own voice and save time on the call

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5

Harness customers helping customersConsumers are willing to share their experiences with each other, despite constraints around identification security. There is clearly a greater tendency for younger people to use online customer forums to sort out problems with a product or service.

Although independent consumer support networks are one way to reduce call volumes, there are risks that the advice and information provided are not correct or supportive of the brand. Organisations need to monitor the quality of customer-to-customer support to protect brand values.

Integrating new channels to engageSome cost-saving, multichannel strategies have the effect of losing the power to influence people, and as a consequence can create further distance between consumers and organisations.

Organisations need to consider these key questions:

1. As consumers demand multichannel access, how can organisations integrate and understand interactions as a way of creating opportunities that will influence customers?

2. Is the organisation creating opportunities to cross-sell and up-sell to customers?

The call centre is a powerful two-way channel, offering cross-selling and up-selling opportunities. But it under-achieves in terms of customer engagement, with frequent criticisms about the length of queues, calls being transferred and agents failing to resolve issues. Although first-contact resolution initiatives are helping, a range of other strategies would improve the call centre experience for the consumer.

23

Helping other consumers with problems with their products and services is agreeable to:

Australia 16%China 45%Hong Kong 27%India 43%Singapore 33%


5

Social media interaction 50% of respondents have used social media to follow a brand that they like and support. Consumers in the Asia-Pacific are increasingly using social media for customer service interactions. Facebook, Twitter, RenRen, Xaixin and Weibo are all popular and organisations which make mistakes run the risk of seeing these used by consumers to damage the brand. The use of social media for tracking comments is one thing, but deciding how to respond to suggestions, complaints, compliments and queries using social media requires more detailed attention.

Use networked experts61% of respondents agree that: the calls they are making to businesses are getting more complex, mainly because they do the simple, self-service tasks online. The agent of the future

will need to be more knowledgeable and networked into the organisation.

If you asked a complex question on a social networking site, how would you like the organisation to respond?

Respond in the same way I contacted them 30%Respond by phone 39%Respond by e-mail 29%Don’t respond 2%

First, organisations’ agents need consolidated desktops and better access to the knowledge bases that will enable them to answer queries effectively. Second, organisations need to configure their call centres so that contacts can be transferred to experts. 89% of respondents say they are: always or sometimes happy to be transferred to another person who is trained to answer more complicated queries. This is a key opportunity to build engagement and reconnect with consumers.

64% agree

If I have a problem I would rather phone an organisation than use a list of FAQs on their website

24

Agents in call centres don’t seem to have the most up to date information

Aus 77% Ch 62% HK 68% Ind 75% Sing 68%

I know more about the product or problem than the agent in the organisations call centre

Aus 71% Ch 69% HK 65% Ind 78% Sing 67%

Agents in call centres don’t know what’s on their own organisations website

Aus 76% Ch 55% HK 59% Ind 69% Sing 65%

I think agents put me on hold because they don’t know what to say and need to check

Aus 89% Ch 71% HK 75% Ind 84% Sing 82%

Always or sometimes

Currently, consumers experience a number of frustrations with agents:


5

Embrace the smartphone userThe growing number of consumers with smartphones offers more opportunities to improve accessibility and offer improved market services. Those who have a smartphone are much more active users of a range of channels, including the call centre.

Smartphone users are more demanding than consumers with mobiles only. Better access to information and communication improves their ability to negotiate with organisations.

60% agree

I have recommended an organisation based on its excellent phone service

58% of respondents

want to regularly review and research products on their smartphones while they’re shopping

% agreeing Have Smartphone No Smartphone

I like the idea of organisations identify me by my voice when I call

59% 48%

I have better conversations with agents that have the same interests as me

75% 60%

I have used voice recognition to phone call centres

46% 33%

I have used my mobile to phone call centres 73% 55%

I often give up on using websites when I don’t have passwords, log in details to hand

54% 43%

25


5

And the emergence of ‘check-ins’ based on GPS means organisations will increasingly be able to offer services to customers based on their location.

An app on your smartphone which uses your GPS location to give you directions to banks, shops and places while you’re out and about in a city

Aus 17% Ch 44% HK 30% Ind 43% Sing 36%

Using your smartphone to see information (opening hours, departure times, Wikipedia articles, special deals, etc) about your current location while you’re on holiday or travelling in a new place

Aus 20% Ch 47% HK 32% Ind 48% Sing 47%

Share your location automatically using your mobile phone so companies can offer you discounts depending on where you are (e.g. near shops, cafes, cinemas)

Aus 15% Ch 47% HK 26% Ind 46% Sing 31%

A system which tells staff you are about to enter the store

Aus 8% Ch 37% HK 19% Ind 39% Sing 19%

It would really add value

26


5

Has video’s time finally arrived?Although long predicted, the rapid pace of technology adoption by many consumers is creating considerable opportunities for innovation, including through video. The growth of Youtube, Skype, Facetime and video conferencing at work means consumers are fast becoming more adept at using video to learn about products and communicate perceived benefits. Consumers expect video to be the fastest growing communication channel, rising from 9% utilisation as a way of contacting organisations currently, to a future level of 30%.

Using online videos to get instructions about using products and

services

Aus 24% Ch 39% HK 30% Ind 46% Sing 36%

Video conferencing with sales assistants while you’re shopping on the internet

Aus 9% Ch 45% HK 19% Ind 38% Sing 22%

One-way video-chat with customer service advisors, where you can see them

Aus 9% Ch 41% HK 18% Ind 38% Sing 27%

It would really add value

The growing power of video

27


5

Integrating customer experienceThe end point of the drive to re-engage with the autonomous customer is the use of CRM and database analytics to understand customers across all contact points. Tying together the increasingly fragmented channels used by consumers, these technologies are one answer to the question of how to keep pace with customers’ interactions and keep making relevant offers to engage with them.

So, while autonomous customers are turning away from brands and institutions and towards each other, they are not closed to offers and propositions from organisations.

The winning organisations in the future will be those that can seize this opportunity while improving ease of business.

28

A significant number agree: ‘I’m an active user of loyalty schemes’

Australia 64%China 64%Hong Kong 58%India 63%Singapore 63%

1 in 4 agree

to sharing more of their personal details with companies so they can make good offers to you

% agreeing

nice to have

it would really add value

38%

47%

42%

52%

45%

39%

39%

53%

50%

55%

44%

51%

51%

51%

51%

49%

54%

43%

56%

48%

50%

31%

41%

27%

49%

34%

38%

35%

If the offers of products and services organisations made to me were more relevant

If organisations always had my personal and service and contact details to hand

B2B autonomous customers

6

As consumers become more autonomous, what are the changes emerging for employees in work and with B2B communications?

Full-time working consumers in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India and Singapore were also asked about their experience of communication technologies at work.

B2B communications needs modernisingWorking lives in the region are highly pressured, with 1 in 2 suffering from a shortage of time in which to achieve professional goals. Related to the high expectations of organisations and the pace of global change, employees are working hard to keep up with the demands of their customers.

29

72% agree

I think we could use more up to date ways of communicating internally

% agreeing

42% 44% 48% 52%38%

Never have enough time to get things done at workIf we had access to our desktop through any secure PC or mobile when out of the office

More and more consumers want to bring their personal technology – iPads, iPhones, Androids – to work, and are less satisfied with standard corporate IT products. This autonomy is rising as the divisions between working and home life have been reduced. Employees are packing 10 hours at work into a 16 hour waking day, responding to e-mail, chat and other communications as they are received.

Improved communications systems Although most employees felt their organisation attempted to provide the best service to customers, there were areas for improvement, particularly around in-house communications.

Employees generally think that suppliers should offer better self-service ordering and customer systems. These would bring benefits to both sides in terms of speed of transaction, reporting and consistency. At the same time, a better internal CRM system would help to improve organisations’ revenues.

Winning B2B organisations will recognise that consumers and employees or colleagues are the same people. Updating communicating technologies is required.

B2B autonomous customers

6

30

If internal services like HR, Finance and Admin were easier to communicate with

If our CRM system was better at helping us build customer relationships

41% would like

video conferencing to be easier to use with both colleagues and people in other organisations

40% say

it would really add value if the standard of customer service in the workplace was higher than my personal life

Offices WorldwideThe services described in this publication are subject to availability and may be modified from time to time. Services and equipment are provided subject to British Telecommunications plc’s respective standard conditions of contract. Nothing in this publication forms any part of any contract.© British Telecommunications plc 2010 Registered office: 81 Newgate Street, London. EC1A 7AJ Registered in England No. 1800000.PHME: 58647

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BT Avaya AutonomousCustomerAsia-Pacific Report 2012

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