articles / April 17, 2019
Do Customer Service Wait Time
Expectations Vary by Channel?
(Infographic)
You’ve reached out to the customer service team at an eCommerce company and are eager to resolve your issue. So, would you rather wait one minute or wait two minutes for a response?
Yeah, you’re right. That one’s a bit obvious.
But, just curious here, would your willingness to wait ever vary depending on the channel you’re using?
That second, more subtle question was one of many that inspired our 2019 eCommerce Customer Service Experience Study. And, for similarly curious customer service professionals, here are a few key findings from our survey of 750 online shoppers.
Email: Patient (Up to a Point)
When our surveyed shoppers were asked how soon they expect a reply to email inquiries, the vast majority (94%) reported that they want a response within 24 hours.
More specifically, nearly half (48%) expect their responses within 6 hours while 15% are looking for an answer in their inbox within 60 minutes.
So while it seems customers appreciate prompt email replies, they are willing to go about their business while your business works toward a productive resolution.Ready to build better conversations?Simple to set up. Easy to use. Powerful integrations.
Chat: Please Answer ASAP
Website chat tools — and the support reps behind the controls — are under a lot of pressure from modern shoppers.
An overwhelming 96% of those surveyed expect a response within five minutes of initiating a chat conversation.
Within that group, 80% actually want their answer within two minutes. And even more immediately, almost half (49%) of shoppers would be navigating away from your website if they didn’t see anyone typing within one minute.
So what’s the takeaway message for this medium? Acknowledge shoppers ASAP before they abandon your queue.
Phone: Resolutions On Call
No channel matches the speed requirements of website chat, but our surveyed shoppers still insisted on relatively fast responses over the phone.
After calling an eCommerce customer support team, nine in 10 customers confirmed that they’ll wait no more than 5 minutes to speak with a live agent.
Sixty percent of participants held their criteria at two minutes or less while 29% could only stomach one minute of queue time.
So while the phone channel does carry an expectation of urgency, the relative patience compared to chat suggests that callers may tolerate more wait time in exchange for a final word of resolution from a fellow human.
-
The Salon Harlow team absolutely love our new Voipy phone system, we got rid of our "traditional" desk phones that took up room and cost me a fortune & now all my staff have the app on their mobile phone. Voipy has saved me money and made the business more efficient as we do not miss calls anymore.Ashe Salon Owner, Salon Harlow -
We rely on Voipy for our day to day operation and customer service lines. The team are extremely knowledgable and the business has saved a lot of money.Andy Director, SiteFinder -
I could not recommend any more highly, the professional and efficient way that Dean & Michael manage our account. Their efficiency in resolving any issues for us is outstanding in every aspect of our needs. Their service is also not limited simply to Monday-Friday business hours, with our often need for resolution to Data add-on's taking place over the weekend for international travel within our company.Tina CFO, Austral Air Conditioning Services -
Where to start ... shopped around, got promised the world and let down time and time again, until we spoke with Mick from Voipy, they were Located in Australia had access to apps with great integrations both domestic and from around the world, they helped us get set up and trained the team. Voipy has great knowledge of their industry and we can't recommend it highly enough, plus they also got us a great deal on our Internet and MobilesJames Operations Director, Collective Weight Loss
Customer love
Our customers have spoken
Whether your business is Upsizing or downsizing, on the move to a new space or modernising the one your in, Voipy has your back. Market-leading, flexible products, fast & seamless setup, affordable pricing, local and responsive support.
Customer love
Our customers have spoken
Whether your business is Upsizing or downsizing, on the move to a new space or modernising the one your in, Voipy has your back. Market-leading, flexible products, fast & seamless setup, affordable pricing, local and responsive support.
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
From our Articles
OUR PARTNERS
Some of our trusted partners
Our partners trust us to deliver the very best Web, Security, Data and Mobile tools for Businesses to
communicate with their customers and stay secure.
Become a Voipy Partner
Voipy connects to the tools you love
Where to start ... shopped around, got promised the world and let down time and time again, until we spoke with Mick from Voipy, they were Located in Australia had access to apps with great integrations both domestic and from around the world, they helped us get set up and trained the team. Voipy has great knowledge of their industry and we can't recommend it highly enough, plus they also got us a great deal on our Internet and Mobiles
James
Operations Director, Collective Weight Loss
The Salon Harlow team absolutely love our new Voipy phone system, we got rid of our "traditional" desk phones that took up room and cost me a fortune & now all my staff have the app on their mobile phone. Voipy has saved me money and made the business more efficient as we do not miss calls anymore.
Ashe
Salon Owner, Salon Harlow
We rely on Voipy for our day to day operation and customer service lines. The team are extremely knowledgable and the business has saved a lot of money.
Andy
Director, SiteFinder
I could not recommend any more highly, the professional and efficient way that Dean & Michael manage our account. Their efficiency in resolving any issues for us is outstanding in every aspect of our needs. Their service is also not limited simply to Monday-Friday business hours, with our often need for resolution to Data add-on's taking place over the weekend for international travel within our company.
Tina
CFO, Austral Air Conditioning Services
Where to start ... shopped around, got promised the world and let down time and time again, until we spoke with Mick from Voipy, they were Located in Australia had access to apps with great integrations both domestic and from around the world, they helped us get set up and trained the team. Voipy has great knowledge of their industry and we can't recommend it highly enough, plus they also got us a great deal on our Internet and Mobiles
James
Operations Director, Collective Weight Loss
The Salon Harlow team absolutely love our new Voipy phone system, we got rid of our "traditional" desk phones that took up room and cost me a fortune & now all my staff have the app on their mobile phone. Voipy has saved me money and made the business more efficient as we do not miss calls anymore.
