Customers going online to complain

Firing off a letter or making a phone call is no longer the method of choice when it comes to making a complaint, according to research.

UK consumers are increasingly looking to go online in order to make a complaint, rather than use traditional methods, a study has found.

A survey of 2,000 customers by eGain found social media is now the 'go-to' platform for registering a gripe about a product or service among young people.

The most popular method of complaint by far was found to be email – 47 per cent of consumers will go online (via email or web chat) to complain about a product or service rather than choose traditional methods of placing a phone call (33 per cent) or writing a letter (17 per cent).

Social media is also a growing platform for complaints, with five per cent of 18-35 year-olds using Twitter or Facebook.

Andrew Mennie, general manager of eGain EMEA, said there was a distinct 'butterfly effect' as consumers choose to air their grievances on social media channels.

"As companies look to go social, they should make sure to avoid creating a silo that is not joined up with other interaction channels," Mr Mennie said.

"Integrating social media into a unified multi-channel service strategy and leveraging a common knowledge platform enables businesses to provide consistent, context-aware and accurate customer service and build loyalty."

Posted by Jessie Richards

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