Hotels, banks, and pharmacies top the list of most customer-centric businesses, according to a survey conducted by KANA Software. The survey asked consumers what they love—or hate—from a customer experience perspective.
The businesses topping the list in terms of being the most customer-centric are hotel chains, as cited by about 60% of respondents, banking (51%), and pharmacies (46%). Respondents cited the usual suspects as least customer-centric: utilities (29%), telecom/ISPs/cable (27%), and health insurers (23%). But, none of those has a comparatively high risk of defection after a poor customer experience. Sectors most at risk include car rentals (cited by 56% of respondents), pharmacies (51%), and airlines (46%). Conversely, industries with the lowest likelihood of customer defection after a poor or disappointing experience are utilities (52%) and banking (26%).
The customer experience attributes most likely to influence purchase decisions were primarily service related: responsive/fast problem resolution topped the list, followed by friendly agents/ability to speak to a live person. Also important was 24/7 multichannel customer service. The important factors that to an extent fall under marketers’ bailiwick are being easy to do business with and “vendors value my business.” In terms of customer experience the latter is made clear with relevant marketing communications, loyalty programs, and the like.
