Almost half of consumers say they have suffered poor service over the last year

Almost half of consumers say they have suffered poor customer service over the last year, with many wanting more “human” support from brands, a survey has found.

One in six consumers (15%) believe customer service standards have declined in the past year, according to the study for reviews site Trustpilot.

Poor product quality and call centre experiences are the UK’s biggest customer service bugbears that would lead them to write a negative review, the poll found.

AI

The study also found that consumers are turning away from AI and automation, and instead value timely responses to queries (54%), being able to speak to a human rather than a chatbot (51%) and getting products or services on time (45%).

More than six in 10 (61%) say that being able to speak to a human rather than a chatbot is something they would like to see more of this year, while a quarter (26%) would like to receive a more personalised service.

On average, it took 2.3 poor experiences for a customer to share their frustrations with a firm.

Consumers said they wanted quicker responses to their queries (35%), consistent delivery updates (30%), and to receive “empathy and understanding” from customer service agents (26%).

Just one in 10 (10%) said that they would like to see an increased use of AI within customer service.

Customer service

Kate Delaney, vice president of marketing at Trustpilot, said: “Customers are a critical part to any business, whatever the sector – if you don’t have a happy customer, you can’t grow a successful business. That’s why customer service is so key, and customers are ready to share their unique experiences via reviews, both positive and negative.

“Our research reveals that UK service standards are inconsistent, with differences in the quality of service being offered across the UK.

“With this in mind, it’s time for businesses to take note and look to build back trust through human, empathetic, and communicative customer service.”

Mortar Research surveyed 2,029 UK adults between May 13-15.