New research from customer service technology vendor NICE has found that the most popular route for individuals seeking self-service for product or service questions continues to be through Internet sites, according to a blog just released today by Heather Clancy. The research ultimately projects the idea that businesses need to be better about listening to customer feedback – whether positive or negative.

So what does this mean? Well for one, if customers can’t or don’t find an answer, they are quickly changing customer service channels quicker than ever. Most participants in NICE’s survey said they use an average of six channels to communicate with businesses they consider themselves customers of; these channels include websites, phone calls, interactive voice response (hosted IVR), in-person visits, social network/media, and smartphone applications.

The data – gathered from a poll of 2,000 individuals aged between 18 and 65 – surveyed participants in November of last year, and represents cities in the U.S., Australia, and the United Kingdom. Questions were asked related to customer service interactions in the industries including financial services, telecommunications, travel and hospitality, insurance, and healthcare.

It’s obvious that customers are becoming increasingly fed up with the siloed – or segregated – approach to customer service. Needless to say, if a customer has already found their answer via a website, they won’t want to waste any more time repeating a problem via a customer service agent, who they’re hoping will be aware of this visible interaction.

Chief Marketing Officer at Nice, Benny Einhorn commented on the survey’s findings, stating, “The empowered customer who uses more channels, more often, is in effect creating a big data challenge and opportunity for businesses. To maximize the value of these interactions, organizations need to own the decisive moment by shaping the interaction as it happens. Service organizations that impact that moment consistently across countless interactions and continuously through the life of customer relationships will not only survive the rising tide of customers’ interactions — they’ll thrive.”

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