A recent survey* by cloud contact centre provider 8×8 reveals that people would prefer to hear the voices of celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Margot Robbie when calling a contact centre. Additionally, many respondents expressed a willingness to pay for faster response times to avoid being on hold. This comes amidst growing dissatisfaction with customer service in the UK and suggests potential areas for improvement in the customer experience, including the introduction of celebrity voice options and speedier service.
- Taylor Swift and Margot Robbie are the top choices for celebrity voices people in Southampton would like to hear when calling a contact centre across different age groups and genders.
- 28% of respondents are willing to pay up to £1 a month for the option to hear a celebrity/influencer voice when contacting a customer service centre.
- A majority of people are willing to pay to have their calls answered and dealt with in under two minutes, indicating a growing demand for faster customer service solutions.
And the Call Centre Voice of Choice Goes to…
How about Taylor Swift or Margot Robbie assuring you that your call is important? Well, that’s the result of a recent study by cloud contact centre provider 8×8, Inc.
Taylor Swift and Margot Robbie are the top choices for the voice on the other end of the line, according to respondents of all age groups and genders. However, the survey uncovers a diverse range of celebrities. For instance, under 30s would like to hear from David Beckham and Charli D’Amelio, while those over 30 gave votes to Will Smith and Joe Wicks.
Males Under 30
- Margot Robbie
- David Beckham
- Taylor Swift
- Ryan Reynolds
- Donald Trump
Females Under 30
- Charli D’Amelio
- Billie Eilish
- Zendaya
- Kylie Jenner
- Taylor Swift
Males Over 30
- Will Smith
- Taylor Swift
- Eminem
- Ryan Reynolds
- Margot Robbie
Females Over 30
- Taylor Swift
- Joe Wicks
- Jacqueline Jossa
- Beyonce
- Zac Efron
Willingness to Pay for Speed
Interestingly, the survey goes beyond just celebrity voice preferences. It probes into how much people are willing to pay for a more efficient customer service experience. A significant 28% of respondents would pay – albeit no more than £1 per month – for the celebrity voice option.
Call Centre Wait Times – The Real Cost?
The most revealing part of the survey revolves around respondents’ willingness to pay for faster service. When asked how much they would pay to have their calls answered and dealt with within two minutes, the responses were:
- 38% wouldn’t pay
- 45% would pay up to £1 a month
- 12% would pay more than £1 but less than £3 per month
- 5% would pay between £3 and £5
Considering that average wait times range from two minutes to a staggering 35 minutes**, it’s clear that customers are craving speed and efficiency in their service interactions.
A Voice of Reason
Chris Angus, VP Contact Centre Engagement for 8×8, provided some context for the results:
“The message across all of this is that people want to engage and have their problems solved. If doing it with celebrity voices is a way of having people engage, then perhaps companies should look into it – though licensing the voices would be an interesting challenge.”
8×8’s Conference on 26 June will cover Customer Experience- Related Themes
The CX South 2024 Conference will cover a number of customer experience-related themes, including the use of AI and automation to improve customer satisfaction, how AI may mean more humans in a contact centre rather than less and a session by cybersecurity influencer Jake Moore.
Final Thoughts
The survey underscores a growing desire among consumers for improved customer service experiences. It’s not just about the fun of hearing a familiar celebrity voice, it’s indicative of a larger issue – the need for faster, more efficient customer service. The willingness to pay for such services, as shown in the survey, should serve as a wake-up call for companies to reassess their customer service strategies. As Chris Angus points out, “we can all do better.” Indeed, we can, and perhaps, we must.
FAQ
Q: What were the top celebrity voices that people would like to hear when calling a contact centre?
A: According to the survey, Taylor Swift and Margot Robbie were named as the top celebrity voices that people would like to hear when contacting a contact centre across different age groups and genders.
Q: Would people be willing to pay extra for the celebrity/influencer voice option?
A: 28% of survey respondents said they would be willing to pay extra for the celebrity/influencer voice option, with the majority willing to pay no more than £1 a month.
Q: How much would people be willing to pay to have their calls always answered and dealt with in under two minutes?
A: When asked, 38% of respondents stated they wouldn’t pay, while 45% would pay up to £1 a month, and 12% would pay more than £1 but less than £3 per month for faster service.
Q: What did Chris Angus, VP Contact Centre Engagement for 8×8, mention about the findings?
A: Chris Angus highlighted that people want to engage and have their problems solved quickly. He noted that while using celebrity voices may be a novel idea, the focus should be on providing efficient customer service to meet the demands of 2024.
*The survey was carried out through a mixture of online channels between Saturday, June 8 and Sunday June 16 targeting Southampton and the surrounding area. More than 2,400 people responded. Celebrity/Influencer names were chosen from a pre-offered list of 100 people.
**UK Customer Satisfaction Index (The Institute of Customer Service)
