Email response times ''worsening''

The time it takes for firms to respond to enquiries from customers through their websites is getting worse, according to a new study.

Research carried out by Transversal found that it took companies 46 hours to answer email queries, compared to 33 hours in 2006.

Of the 100 websites operated by leading firms across different sectors, only 50 per cent supplied the answers to questions posed via the site.

The report did reveal, however, that 42 per cent of phone calls to contact centres were answered within one minute and 67 per cent within three minutes.

"While we´ve seen marginal improvements over the three years that we have carried out this analysis a lack of a cohesive multi-channel strategy means in the majority of cases it is quicker to call than visit a company´s website," said Davin Yap, chief executive of Transversal.

He added that more needs to be done to deliver online results to consumers and return on the considerable investment in online services made by these firms to this point.
© Adfero Ltd