"Take Care, Now": 20% of Customer Calls Don't Get Answered

Research from Navigator Customer Management reveals customer careline standards amongst key FMCG brands in the UK

(London, June 2007) New research from Navigator Customer Management amongst over 100 key UK retailers reveals that whilst 4 out of every 5 FMCG brands now carries a careline, 20% of customer calls never gets answered. The report shows that out of the FMCG sectors studied, Household Products turned out to be the surprise winner, showing the least glamorous category pursuing the best practice. The cosmetics sectors – both Skincare and Beauty – also put in strong performances, in enquiry handling standards and call answering rates respectively. However, the Food and drinks sectors – despite being one of the highest spending categories on brand advocacy – deliver consistently below average scores, highlighting the urgent need for improvement.

Today’s best practice demands that call centres are able to act in a fully ‘joined-up’ fashion, assessing key information on the customer to make sure that they are dealt with relevantly and – where possible – in a way that recognises their value to the company. Each of the sectors examined, Food, Drink, Skincare Cosmetics, Beauty Cosmetics and Household Products where each assessed for live answering rates, enquiry handling quality and contact data/contact permission capture. Whilst Household Product scored above average on every area of assessment, Food and Drink delivered consistently below average scores. The combination of creeping advertising restrictions, health concerns and increasing legal obligations will inevitably inspire radical improvement in customer dialogue for the Food and Drinks sectors in coming years.

Rob Denton, Joint Managing Director, Navigator Customer Management, comments, ‘While an overall majority of FMCG brand owners are employing carelines to enhance brand experience, a rump of poor practice is actively damaging brand perception. All sectors studied have room for improvement, but household products stand out as the star of the show, with strong performances also coming from the cosmetics sectors. Food and drink score consistently lower than average, highlighting the improvements that need to be made by these sectors if they are to enhance customer experiences and even recruit customers to be brand advocates themselves’.