European Consumers Demand Better Customer Support
New research indicates European consumers are dissatisfied with business-centric customer service, seeking understanding and speed over deflection.
A recent survey by Parloa reveals that 90% of European consumers state a brand's customer experience influences their perception of the company. Over a third have switched brands after a single poor service interaction, with nearly half sharing negative experiences with others.
Currently, only 6.6% of consumers find their issues resolved by automated systems like IVRs or chatbots, and 86.1% actively try to bypass automation to speak with a human agent.
Looking ahead, over 75% of respondents believe future AI systems will handle complex requests better than humans, and 55.2% are already comfortable trying automation before speaking to a person.
Consumers prioritize feeling understood and efficient resolution. Long wait times are the primary frustration, with 62.6% preferring to wait for a human over a faster, potentially incorrect answer. Furthermore, 48% expect customer context to transfer seamlessly when escalated to a human agent.