Over half of Australian companies using customer service tech see their CSAT score improve

Customer service technology helps businesses enhance their customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores by streamlining operations, providing faster responses, and personalising interactions. In this article, Capterra looks at what companies in Australia are doing to improve their CSAT ratings.

Adequate numbers of customer service agents alongside the right technologies are critical for businesses to deliver high-quality customer support and address their customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores. Bad customer service experiences can leave customers frustrated if issues are not resolved promptly or effectively, leading to negative reviews on social media and potentially losing trust in the company.

In Australia, more than half of companies (55%) have seen CSAT scores improve within the last two years, aligning them with the global average of 57%. That's according to Capterra's 2024 Customer Service Technology Survey*, which collected responses from 2,307 employees worldwide (including 193 Australians) involved in their company's customer service operations. We will compare the Australian results with the global averages where relevant.

This article investigates the state of call centre tech adoption today in Australia, how it helps customer satisfaction, and what other businesses can learn from these successes.

Customer satisfaction remains a priority as support staff numbers set to increase

Today’s consumers are more demanding than ever regarding their interactions with companies thanks to extensive competition, brands, and online reviews influencing their purchasing decisions. Multi-channel —phone, email, chat and social media— enables faster services and instant responses, setting a high standard for all customer experiences. However, if managed poorly, it could also lead to a higher service volume of inquiries, complaints, and service requests that companies must handle. 

According to employees involved with their companies' customer service strategy and budgeting, over half (52%) say their organisation will increase customer service-related staff within 18 months. To keep up with customers' increasingly dynamic needs, companies will require more call agents that support valuable areas of customer expectations, such as reduced wait times, prompt handling of queries and overall faster service.

Long waiting times and slow responses can be frustrating. Individuals are more likely to leave negative reviews and provide poor ratings, ultimately lowering CSAT scores. Management’s focus on refining and executing a robust service strategy is essential for improving CSAT scores and overall customer satisfaction and retention. 

Here are three crucial points to consider to improve a customer service strategy:

1. Provide customer service training and effective techniques

Effectively training customer service reps enables them to handle calls professionally, resolve issues quickly, and provide a consistent, positive customer experience. Proper training optimises call flow, swiftly directing calls to the right department or person and minimises delays. But just how long are customers currently waiting to speak to an operator?

According to 61% of respondents, customers do not have to wait too long to speak to an agent via the phone or live chat, as 45% say it takes between one and less than five minutes, and 16% say it takes less than a minute before an agent speaks to a customer.

However, 42% of agents take five to ten minutes to address and resolve a customer’s issue via live phone call or live chat, with a further 29% taking between 10 minutes and up to an hour. Waiting to speak to a rep via the phone can feel longer due to the passive nature of having no visual clues about progress. When it comes to actually resolving an issue, it usually takes longer, and results seem to show a significant waiting time for customers.

Call centres can utilise IVR systems to handle simple queries, automatically reducing the load on agents. Call-back options are also an alternative to offer customers to help them avoid spending time on hold. Companies should ensure smooth transitions from chatbot to human agent where possible and allow agents to handle multiple chat sessions simultaneously to help balance workload and reduce waiting times.

Implementing a structured and comprehensive training program, including perfecting phone or live chat etiquette and technical onboarding, ensures customer service reps are well-equipped to handle customer calls efficiently. Regular practical sessions also improve call centre agents' problem-solving skills and product knowledge.

2. Consider utilising external customer service agencies

Many companies outsource customer service for the flexibility of scaling up or down based on consumer demand, especially during peak seasons or across different time zones, or to handle unexpected surges in customer inquiries. 

Despite the benefits of outsourcing call centre agents, 69% of Australian customer service strategists say their organisation primarily handles customer service phone calls in-house, placing them above the global average of 63%. Whilst 18% use a combination of resources, only 14% say their company fully outsources to a third party or call centre.

The future of outsourcing customer service operators looks to be gaining traction for some business decision-makers. Results show that 43% of customer service operators handling customer service calls primarily in-house say that, while their company doesn't have formal plans to outsource, they are considering it. Meanwhile, 14% do have formal plans to outsource.

Capterra’s survey found that 84% of organisations that either fully outsource already or have a mix of in-house and outsourced customer service agents will maintain the same investment levels within the next 18 months. Only 5% said they would increase them, which is low in comparison to the global average of 31%.

As part of a customer service strategy, business decision-makers should also consider staying current with the latest software tools to enhance their internal and outsourced operations and better serve their customers. 

Companies considering outsourcing should ensure the vendors they are talking to:

• Use unified platforms, combining phone, email, live chat and social media, which provides a holistic view of customer history. 
• Provide extensive initial training for new agents, covering product knowledge, company policies, customer skills and tech use. 
• Invest in the latest CRM systems and call centre tools, ensuring the tech is current and capable of meeting evolving customer needs.

3. Invest in customer service tech to take the CX further

According to Gartner, the best use of CSAT data is to capture feedback on specific service and support interactions, such as agent performance or satisfaction with a process during the interaction. [1] Utilising the latest technologies creates a more personalised and responsive environment for customer service phone calls, which is vital to receiving positive reviews. When handling or supporting customer calls, support operators mostly use CRM (63%), call centre (54%) and help desk software (51%).

For example, CRM systems give agents a comprehensive view of customer history and interactions. If an agent sees that a customer recently upgraded to a premium plan, it might have triggered new settings or features, causing a bug. This context helps the agent provide a tailored solution.

Customer service-related tool features help agents enhance the overall quality of the customer journey. If a customer calls with a billing issue, the Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) feature of call centre software routes the call to the most appropriate agent based on their skills, availability, and the nature of the query. In this case, the caller will be directed to an agent specialising in billing queries. 

Of the survey respondents who don’t use call centre software, 29% say their company has formal plans to invest in the tool, while 35% say that although they don't have plans yet, they are considering the software type. The software also proves popular with users, as nearly half of customer service operators (42%) say their company plans to upgrade their current call centre software within the next 18 months.

Use this data to improve your company’s overall CSAT

Customer satisfaction scores are crucial for businesses as they directly impact customer loyalty and brand reputation. Companies require well-trained call agents who can handle inquiries quickly and resolve issues effectively to help better CSAT ratings.

Outsourcing allows companies to rapidly scale their customer service operations in response to fluctuating demand. This ensures calls are handled promptly, reduces waiting times, and improves customer satisfaction. 

Call centre technologies are also vital to a customer service strategy, allowing personalised customer interactions. This efficiency directly impacts CSAT ratings and improves the overall quality of service. The following article in this two-part series looks at the use of AI in customer service operations and how advanced tech should complement the customer experience instead of adding to consumer trust concerns.