Gethuman.com Survey Results Reveal Significant Consumer Expectations for Online Customer Support

Las Vegas, Nev. - October 21, 2008 - Fuze Digital Solutions and Gethuman.com announced today the availability of the results of the Gethuman Customer Service Survey: Online Service Expectations at the SSPA Services Leadership Conference held through October 22, 2008. The global survey, conducted during August 2008 and sponsored by Fuze, polled nearly 1,000 consumers on their expectations about service levels for online customer support, including online forms, email and chat.

During these tough economic times, it is critical that companies move beyond product and price and differentiate themselves with outstanding customer care. This survey helps organizations understand what is expected of them online.

The findings serve to provide a benchmark for organizations on service level expectations across a spectrum of customers who use the Internet to get service. Companies can use this information to help remain competitive, find ways to improve brand loyalty, and lower customer turnover.

The survey focused on identifying how quickly consumers expect responses to various forms of online inquiries before they will turn to the phone for support, form a negative impression of the company responding, or go to a competitor. Also addressed was the importance to the consumer of knowing the service level before using the channel.

One survey finding showed that 60% of all consumers expect to get a response to a support-related inquiry within 4 business hours. Expectations vary by the age of the consumer and the frequency they use the Web each week, as well as whether those expectations vary for responses to feedback and sales-related inquiries.

Gethuman.com is a resource that thousands of consumers use each day to help them understand what kind of experience they will receive from a company’s customer service. In the Online Service Expectations survey, responses and opinions were gathered while these consumers were researching and requesting service from nearly a thousand different companies. Walt Tetschner, Consumer Advocate and Director of Gethuman.com said, “Fuze understands that the final judge of their software is the consumer who uses it to get support. In this competitive and challenging economic climate, companies cannot afford to ignore the voice of the customer. Failure to meet or exceed customer expectations results in lost business and brand devaluation, which is far more costly than any expenditures required to keep customers happy and loyal to their brand.”

Chuck Van Court, President and Founder of Fuze Digital Solutions added, “Our software is only effective if it enables our customers to meet or exceed consumer expectations. The survey results clearly define what consumers expect and what companies must deliver in order to provide online support that enhances rather than erodes brand loyalty.”

About Gethuman.com
The Gethuman™ movement was created from the voices of millions of consumers who want to be treated with dignity when they contact an enterprise for customer support. The Gethuman goal is to convince enterprises that providing high quality customer service and having satisfied customers cost much less than providing low quality customer service and having unsatisfied customers. Through a combination of consumer feedback and collaboration, Gethuman strives to provide an ongoing resource for consumers and companies looking for examples of excellent customer service.