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Companies ignore customer e-mail requests
On average, incoming e-mail queries remain unanswered for approximately three days
Response quality leaves a lot to be desired: one in three responses fails to help the customer
Mail order toy retailers MyToys fulfill 80 percent of the defined evaluation criteria.
One in twelve e-mails sent to leading German companies is left unanswered
The top 100 German companies are lagging behind when it comes to electronic customer service. Approximately one in twelve e-mails sent to customers by potential or dissatisfied customers is left unanswered. These are the results of the market research study "Online Customer Service 2004" carried out by novomind AG in collaboration with M&Oh Research. Just half of all companies succeed in responding to an e-mail request within 24 hours. And leading German companies require and average of 2.7 days to answer a customer e-mail.
Just seven out of ten responses dealt with the customer’s problem effectively
But it is not just the response time that is not up to scratch; the response quality also leaves a lot to be desired: although 87 percent of companies recognized the customer’s problem, only 70 percent were able to provide an adequate solution to that problem. In 16 percent of cases, the companies refused to provide an e-mail response at all. Instead, they redirected customers to local outlets and branches, or information located on the company website. A number of companies – including DaimlerChrysler and Karstadt – responded by post. In most cases, however, the printed information bore no relation to the original customer query.
Customers keen to sign a contract: Aachener and Münchener insurance group refuses to release branch office addresses
Customers looking for information from the Aachener and Münchener insurance group were faced with an impossible obstacle: to protect data privacy, the company refused to inform potential customers of the location of their nearest branch office. "When dealing with some of the test candidates, people seeking advice felt that their custom was not wanted or welcome," said Peter Samuelsen, novomind AG’s chief executive officer. For example, Deutsche Telekom responded to just 40 percent of the customer requests received. Rosa Riesen provided no e-mail assistance at all; their terse e-mail response simply indicated that this was the sole responsibility of their offline branches.
Discount retailer Aldi struggles to cope with e-mail overload
Whereas Deutsche Telekom transfers customers to its existing sales network, discounter retailer Aldi is struggling to cope with incoming e-mail traffic. Both Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd sent customers an automatic response telling them that their question could not be answered by e-mail. But test winner MyToys showed that this was more than possible. All responses arrived within 24 hours and questions were answered in detail. Dr. August Oetker AG was another success story: a company employee dealt individually with e-mails and informed customers where to locate the requested products in their particular area.
Background information about the study
In collaboration with novomind AG, M&Oh Research tested the efficiency of e-mail communication within the top 100 German companies. Those tested consisted of the 50 companies with the highest turnover, the 20 largest insurance and banking providers and the ten most popular internet retailers. The German-language study can be ordered by e-mail (at a cost of 120 Euros per e-mail) from orders(at)mundoh.de.
novomind: software solutions for professional customer communication
novomind AG is the leading provider of digital customer communication solutions enabling optimized processes and lower costs. The product department’s portfolio includes e-mail management systems, as well as virtual customer services assistants and systems for interactive communication in real time. The novomind services department develops complex e-business applications, including scalable online shop solutions. novomind’s products and solutions focus on future-oriented service, efficient and personalized communication, and higher-performance administration. A rapid ROI is guaranteed and ongoing, long-term customer loyalty ensured. Leading companies from across the market sectors – including Bertelsmann Der Club, Otto, Sparkasse Erlangen, BKK Gesundheit, Travelocity and Hannoversche Leben, as well as public sector representatives such as the German Federal Ministry of Health and Social Security (BMGS) – have already successfully implemented novomind systems to boost customer loyalty, turnover and public relations.
