Due to the corona pandemic, the use of self-service has increased slightly. At the same time, satisfaction with this channel has declined. In terms of satisfaction with self-service, the Netherlands scores relatively poorly compared to other countries. These remarkable findings emerge from the latest edition of CX Lab's Global CX Survey. Part 1 of a diptych.

In this edition of the Global CX Survey, additional questions were posed to a group of respondents about changes in purchasing behavior choices. In the Netherlands, 1.340 consumers were questioned about this. The corona pandemic has shaken spending and purchasing behavior considerably in two years. Both budget and purchase decisions now appear to be returning to 'normal' for most categories of consumer spending. One in five consumers expect to spend more on health insurance and mobile devices; spending in the travel sector appears to remain low.

Changes in customer contact preferences

Due to travel restrictions, among other things, the pandemic has initially caused a significant increase in customer contact in some sectors, such as airlines, travel organizations and travel insurers.

Have these changes had an impact on service satisfaction, tender readiness, and brand loyalty? And has the way consumers contacted companies changed?
Yes, more than half of Dutch consumers indicate that the way they interact with companies has changed since the corona pandemic. 16% of consumers have started buying more locally and the same group has opted more than before for companies with good customer service.

The Netherlands has the second lowest percentage of consumers using self-service, the results show. As far as the researchers are concerned, there is no clear explanation for the low score of the Netherlands. 'Regular' service may suffice, making people less dependent on self-service. If self-service is chosen, the resolution rate is close to the average of the countries studied. Another factor, according to the researchers, is that the Dutch generally rate service aspects lower than consumers from neighboring countries.

Lower self-service rating

Dutch consumers' appreciation of self-service is lower across almost all sectors than before the corona pandemic. This decreased appreciation also contributes most to the lower general customer satisfaction of Dutch consumers. A possible explanation is that a relatively large number of people started using self-service for the first time (for example because the preferred channel was not easily accessible due to crowds). In any case, the use of self-service has increased, as has the use of digital channels. Telephone use fell slightly by 4%. A similar development has also occurred in other countries, the researchers said. Dutch consumers indicate that they have had more contact with online travel providers, credit card companies and car insurers, and less with the automotive industry and manufacturers of mobile devices.

Higher pressure on organizations

During the corona pandemic, recommendation readiness across all sectors also fell by an average of 9%, with airlines and e-retail the biggest fallers (-22%) alongside consumer electronics (-15%). Loyalty (how likely is it that you will remain a customer) also decreased by a few percent.

With more pressure on customer service organizations in various sectors, it is obvious that mobile apps (if available at companies) have also been used more often by consumers. The biggest risers here are the apps from banks and credit card companies. This may also be due to more online spending and the reliance on two-factor method when approving payments. (Ziptone/Erik Bouwer)

In part 2 of this diptych about the CX Lab research (to follow later): channel preferences of boomers and other generations. Also check the white paper that CX Lab has put together containing the most important trends for the Netherlands in customer contact in relation to the corona pandemic. 

 

The latest edition of the Global CX Survey, an initiative of Teleperformance, was conducted at the end of 2020 in thirteen countries, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal and the UK, and covers questions across 19 sectors. The research is aimed at mapping consumer preferences when it comes to interaction with companies. 3.995 consumers were surveyed in the period October-November 2020. The results of the Global CX Survey are representative for age and gender by country.

Customer Experience, Featured Teleperformance