The data shows that grumpy old men are a disappearing, replaced by unhappy young couples.
Australians over the age of 65 were much more positive (92%) about the level of friendly customer service they receive from Australia’s major companies, while young childless couples had the highest levels of dissatisfaction.
In addition, 36-45 year olds recorded the lowest average scores for all of their customer service experiences (79%).
The research, conducted by Antenna, one of Australia’s leading consumer insights specialists, surveyed 2,000 Australians to gauge public perceptions of customer service and friendliness provided by major Australian companies across 15 industries.
Customer Service Institute of Australia CEO Anouche Newman said that generational shift in satisfaction means that Australian businesses are struggling to deliver authentic and friendly customer service.
“Young people are more willing to jump online rather than wait to talk to someone over the phone these days, and friendliness can be harder to communicate in an online environment,” she said.
“In contrast, older people are used to communicating with providers and suppliers over the phone where they are more accustomed to waiting, and where many businesses focus their customer service efforts."
Face-to-face is considered the friendliest channel for customer communication (65%), compared to email (13%), while phone was voted the least friendly communication channel used by Australian businesses (9%).
When it comes to the friendliest industries, internet service providers (65%), everyday banking and car servicing (54% each), and car insurance (53%) came in on top, while the water and electricity utilities (27% and 34% respectively) and superannuation (35%) were billed as the least friendly.
CSIA commissioned the research to better understand the role friendliness plays when it comes to customer engagement, and the impact it has on the purchase and use of a brand’s products and services.
