What does it take to get some service around here? That's a question that many, if not most, consumers have asked in exasperation while in shopping situations.
A new research report from Yankelovich, Consumers in Control: Customer Service in the Age of Consumer Empowerment, shows clearly that exasperation is what many are feeling with the lack of service they get. Twenty-seven percent say they are even willing to pay if they can just get someone to meet their needs.
"Consumers have moved beyond frustration. It's gone from a simmer to a boiling point," Lexi Hutto, a senior consultant at Yankelovich, told AdAge.com.
"[Consumers] feel they deserve what they want and will look for it wherever they can find it. If they don't find it at Company A, they'll go to Company B or C," she added.
The problem, according to the research, is that consumers find the same unsatisfying experience at one company after another.
According to the Yankelovich research, 62 percent of consumers believe that the service people they interact with "don't care much" about their needs. This number is up 10 points in two years.
Other findings from the study included 66 percent saying that companies are more interested in selling them existing products rather than coming up with items that actually address their lifestyle needs. This figure was up from 58 percent in 2004.
Discussion Questions: If polls consistently say consumers will walk from stores with poor customer service, then why are so many still in business? Have consumers, despite their complaints, become acclimated to being treated badly or, perhaps worse, ignored by brands and retailers?