Study: Shoppers want better online support

Customer service doesn't count only in brick-and-mortar stores. According to a recent study from Inquira and ServiceXRG suggests that online customer service is failing many consumers and nearly half of consumers feel the information provided by most company website is not adequate.

by Kristina Knight

Nearly three-quarters of the consumers surveyed for the report said they click through to company websites to get more product information. However, only about 44% felt that the product information provided was what they were looking for.

Why is this?

The reason seems to be the interfaces most companies are using online. Less than 40% of companies surveyed said they had an advanced search function for consumers to use. Businesses are also not providing online support. According to the study less than 20% of companies said they offered some type of customer service - like live chat - for consumers to receive specific answers.

The good news is that companies are taking notes of what consumers want. More than 30% of the companies surveyed said they plan to increase the search functions available online and more than 90% said content enhancements were among the first improvements to be made to their online hubs.

Mike Murphy, CEO of InQuira said, "The results of ServiceXRG's study reinforce our philosophy that a good customer experience boils down to the basics – providing quality information and easy-to-use, intuitive tools to help consumers access it."