Despite IT Support, Customer Service Is Getting Worse

By Allan Alter  |  Posted 11-21-2006

Despite IT Support, Customer Service Is Getting Worse

In an ideal world, customer service ought to improve every year. But this year's survey suggests that service levels are taking a step backward. Except for product or service quality, service levels dropped or remained the same as in 2005—even though IT organizations are providing support for more kinds of service.

For more data and analysis, see CIO Insight's Research Center blog at go.cioinsight.com/researchcentral

Next page: Despite IT's support for customer service, problems are not diminishing.

Despite IT

's support for customer service, problems are not diminishing.">
Finding 6: Despite IT's support for customer service, problems are not diminishing.
If anything, service problems with billing and voice-routing systems are getting worse. Fewer companies are using Web technologies to support customer service, though it would be too big a stretch to say that service is deteriorating for that reason. The best news? Just one in five respondents reports any customer backlash to self-service technologies, the same percentage as in 2005. Still, IT needs to keep working at improving customer service.









Research Guide:

  • Finding 1: The hunt is on for new customers; most companies continue to favor growth over cost-cutting.
  • Finding 2: Nine out of 10 companies sell on the Web, but only half say the Internet is among their most profitable channels.
  • Finding 3: More IT spending is directed to customers.
  • Finding 4: Companies are still suffering from data indigestion.
  • Finding 5: Sales and marketing technologies are often not deployed and frequently fall short when they are.

    Upcoming results from the Customer Strategies survey:

  • Nov. 29: Opportunity is knocking. Is anyone home?

    Read our previous surveys on customer strategies and related topics:

  • July 2005 Customer Strategies Survey: Can You Profit as Customers Get Smarter?
  • October 2005 Business Intelligence Survey: Business Intelligence Is Valuable, but Falls Short of Its Potential
  • August 2004 CRM Survey: Will Old Problems Sink New Users?