14,000 Customer Call Analysis Shows Corporate America isn’t Listening to its Clientele

Authenticx Releases Inaugural Customer Voices Report

More than a billion customer interactions take place every year in the sub-industries of pharma, health insurance, and health systems in the U.S. Add food delivery,  ordinary purchases, communication and home maintenance and the interactions spike dramatically. But, despite these interactions customer-call analysis shows corporate America isn’t listening.

But is anyone listening to what those customers are saying? Customer-call analysis data compiled and analyzed by Authenticx, a groundbreaking customer intelligence company, indicates there’s more black hole than eager reception at the other end of the phone, chat or email.

“It’s no wonder customers are taking to social media to vent about the service they receive,” said Authenticx CEO and Founder Amy Brown. “Our analysis shows each of those billions of calls offers up an average of three clues companies can use to improve their service.”

The inaugural Customer Voices Trends Report is available at no cost here. It offers up core insights derived from listening to more than 14,000 customer voices and gleaning 45,000 separate messages from those interactions. Though drawn from healthcare clientele, the data is useful for all sectors.

Given the business and personal strains the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on the world, the report is likely more essential now than at any time previous, Brown said.

“We’ve unlocked root causes that are actionable and if known and addressed, can help fix unprofitable processes while improving the customer experience at the same time,” she said.

The 5 things consumers want companies to know:

1. You need to meet us halfway: The No. 1 concern raised is whether customers will be able to pay their bills and afford their treatment/care/service/goods. Customers are expressing that times are tough and they need help in the form of flexibility, discounts and financial assistance in order to keep their relationships with your business going.
2. You’re not easy to do business with: 50% of the time, customers will tell you why they’re dissatisfied without being asked; 33% of the time they voice frustration, they mention  confusing bills or complicated processes.
3. Response matters: 40% of the time, customers share unsolicited positive feedback. More than 60% of these comments are related to how company representatives respond to their calls for help. Agents who are empathetic, knowledgeable and go above and beyond to understand a problem and find a solution are creating customer loyalty.
4. Let us repeat: Response really matters: Despite evidence that it is valued when agents respond compassionately and efficiently, agent empathy is down across-the-board. 
5. The “Eddy Effect”: Too often, customers’ needs are not met when they first reach out for help and they are stuck in a vicious circle requiring them to ask for the same help over and over again because open issues do not get resolved quickly enough. Company reputation drops when this occurs.

3 ways companies can respond:

Companies cannot fix economic security for their customers, but they can show they’re listening by the way they respond.

1. Remove barriers: Corporate policies, especially those related to billing, are complicated and it’s your responsibility to do something about it. Understand what causes confusion and complications for your customers and take action to remove those barriers.
2. Empathetic leadership drives empathetic results: Responsibility for responding with understanding should not fall entirely on the shoulders of the contact center representatives who are primarily responsible for communicating the messages. Leaders have the responsibility to develop resources, guides, training, technology, business practices and processes that reflect an understanding of the humans they serve. 
3. Stop the “Eddy Effect”: Know where your customers are getting stuck. (Hint – start with the topics generating all your repeat calls.) These Eddies are the No. 1 source of customer pain and you need to develop a plan to remove them.

About Authenticx

Authenticx was founded to analyze and activate customer interaction data at scale. Why? We wanted to reveal transformational opportunities in healthcare. We are on a mission to help humans understand humans. With a combined 100+ years of leadership experience in pharma, payer, and healthcare organizations, we know first-hand the challenges and opportunities that our clients face because we’ve been in your shoes.

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