World Customer Satisfaction Index Drops During Holiday Season (Brazil)

February 11, 2014

In contrast, Brazil shows consecutive growth and is ranked among the top 10, according to a survey conducted by Zendesk

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – February 2014 – According to the Benchmark conducted by Zendesk, a provider of cloud-based customer service software, the consumer satisfaction index showed a 2% drop in the fourth quarter of 2013, after consecutive increases in the two previous quarters, confirming an annual trend during this time of the year. During the period, the world’s consumer satisfaction annual average fell to 80%, the most affected sectors being tourism and retail, which fell seven and six percentage points, respectively.

While the index reflected an increase in consumer dissatisfaction worldwide, Brazil contradicted the world trend, with the level of satisfaction rising from 80% to 82%. This put Brazil among the top 10 of the most satisfied countries in the world.

“Brazilian companies believe more and more in omni-channel consumer power, and they are increasing their investment in technology that can make the relationship between a company and its customers more pleasant, simpler and closer,” states João Olivério, Zendesk , country manager for Brazil.

Worldwide, the decrease in customer satisfaction can be attributed largely to the increase in demand for customer service in industries such as tourism and retail during this time of the year, the busiest and the most critical for these segments. Despite the traditional decline in the fourth quarter, the drop in 2013 was worse for retailers than in 2012, when satisfaction fell only 2 percentage points. The software and healthcare segments also recorded a decline in the satisfaction rating of their customers during the period.

“With the exception of Brazil, customer satisfaction fell in virtually the entire world, and the retail segment felt this movement more than usual. This picture serves as a focal point so that companies can anticipate and better prepare for seasonal demands,” says Sam Boonin, research manager for the Zendesk Benchmark and vice president for products at Zendesk.

Customer satisfaction rating by country: Brazil among the top 10

Brazil outperforms the United States and takes over a new position in the world ranking. It is now among the main economic leaders, with less than ten percentage points from Norway, which took over the first place. India (54%), Turkey (61%) and UAE (67%) showed the worst satisfaction ratings.

Best countries:

• Norway: 91% (+1 percentage point)
• Canada: 89% (-1 percentage point)
• Denmark: 89% (+1 percentage point)

Worst countries:

• India: 54% (-13 percentage points)
• Turkey: 61% (no change from Q3)
• UAE: 67% (+8 percentage points)

Satisfaction rating by industry

Best industries:

• IT and Consulting Services: 96% (+1 percentage point)
• Non-profit and Government Activities: 95% (no change from Q3)
• Real Estate: 94% (no change from Q3)

Worst industries:

• Social Media: 69% (+2 percentage points)
• Travel, Hospitality, and Tourism: 75% (-7 percentage points)
• Entertainment & Games: 76% (no change from Q3)

Retail customer satisfaction drops during the holiday season

The report for this quarter revealed the seasonal drop in consumer satisfaction during the holiday season. This is typical for the retail segment at this time of year, but the 2013 season proved to be the hardest for the sector. In the fourth quarter of 2013, the rating fell 6 percentage points to 76%, while in the same period of 2012 the drop had been just 2 percentage points.

The increase can be attributed to a more significant volume of tickets submitted by clients. Between Q3 and Q4 2013, the number of tickets grew by 42%, while in the same period of 2012 this number had been 34%. Not enough new people were hired to support the period’s increased demand, which also contributed negatively to the drop in consumer satisfaction in the retail sector.

Between November and December, demand increased on average by 19% of tickets per agent during this peak period to an average total of 457 calls answered per professional. In the previous year, this increase was only 6%.

The Zendesk report shows the level of consumer satisfaction and also presents service trends for each quarter, based on real-life interactions between 16,000 participating companies and their customers in 125 countries. The complete Zendesk Benchmark report for the fourth quarter of 2014 can be found at this link.

About the Zendesk Benchmark

The Zendesk Benchmark is based on real customer service and customer service interactions between 16,000 participating companies and their customers in 125 countries. They are among more than 40,000 Zendesk customers who use the Zendesk platform to provide support to over 300 million people. Introduced in March 2012, the Zendesk Benchmark allows companies to compare their customer service performance with their competitors in their industry. The report measures customer service efficiency, self-service behavior and levels of customer engagement. Customer satisfaction is based on the percentage of positive answers to the question whether they were satisfied or not with their interaction with customer service. For a country to be included in the quarterly report, a minimum of 10,000 answers during the quarter is required.

About Zendesk

Zendesk builds cloud software for better customer service, bringing companies and their customers closer together. With Zendesk, companies engage directly and openly with customers, building more meaningful customer relationships that last a lifetime. More than 40,000 customers use Zendesk to provide service to more than 300 million people worldwide. Founded in 2007 and based in San Francisco, Zendesk has offices in seven countries and funding from Charles River Ventures, Benchmark, GGV Capital, Index Ventures, Matrix Partners and Redpoint Ventures. Learn more at www.zendesk.com.

This is a translation of a press release originally issued in Portuguese.

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