North America's Fastest Growing Companies are Setting Themselves up for Customer Service Disaster, Finds New IntelliResponse Research

TORONTO, Sept 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Research conducted by IntelliResponse, provider of the most widely deployed enterprise virtual agent technology, found that many of North America's fastest growing technology companies are setting themselves up for customer service disasters by offering few or no options for customers to quickly and easily find answers to their questions.

The study of the 2013 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ found that the most widely available options on the companies' websites require customers to take extra steps to find information with 61 percent offering site search forcing customers to sort through numerous pages related to keywords and nearly half of the companies (47 percent) providing customer portals that require a login to gain access to customer service support. Additionally, 44 percent of companies offer a template contact form, often seen as a "black hole" by consumers, where questions go and remain unanswered.

Meeting the Demands of Today's Consumers

According to Forrester, 77 percent of U.S. online adults say that valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do to provide them with good online customer service and 55 percent said they are likely to abandon their online purchase if they can't find a quick answer to their question.  Yet, the IntelliResponse research found limited access to online service options with only 12 percent of websites featuring a live or virtual agent to answer customer questions on the spot.

"Today's digital consumers demand effortless online service and failing to deliver can mean lost loyalty and revenue, potentially killing a growing business," said David Lloyd, CEO of IntelliResponse. "As companies grow, it becomes increasingly critical to offer efficient self-service across their digital interaction channels using virtual agent technology that can provide the single right answer based on the intent of customers' questions and not just keywords."

These findings are based on IntelliResponse analysis of the websites for the companies on the 2013 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™. The research looked for live and virtual agents, search options, customer portals requiring a login, template contact forms and contact information, namely phone numbers and emails addresses that indicated they were for customer service inquiries.

About IntelliResponse Systems

IntelliResponse provides digital self-service technology solutions for the enterprise. We create profitable online conversations for our private and public sector customers around the world.

Our patented Virtual Agent solutions transform corporate websites, mobile applications, social media channels and agent desktops into world class self-service platforms. Using IntelliResponse, consumers can ask questions using natural language and get instant, accurate answers as well as targeted offers that lead them down the purchase path and improve conversion. What's more, key voice of the customer insights are captured in natural language, allowing companies to build highly detailed customer profiles over time.

IntelliResponse is the gold standard in first line customer experience, offer management and customer intelligence. Some of the world's most recognized corporate brands and public institutions trust their customer experience management needs to IntelliResponse – including CIBC Bank, ING Direct, Arvest Bank, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, Progress Energy, Optus, Copa Airlines, Penn State University, and Yale University.

For more information about IntelliResponse, visit www.intelliresponse.com

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SOURCE IntelliResponse