Marchex Research Finds Politeness Pays, Drives Better Deals and Outcomes for Consumers and Businesses
June 07 2017 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
Being nice to your customer service agent could
just get you the deal or discount you’re looking for
In today’s instant gratification culture, manners, courtesy and
etiquette are often left behind. Yet, according to a new report
released today by the Marchex Institute, of Marchex, (NASDAQ: MCHX)
titled “Politeness Pays,” politeness – or lack thereof – can have a
significant impact on purchase decisions and sales results.
With rudeness on the rise, a lack of social etiquette could be
costly. In fact, businesses and consumers alike can benefit
financially by simply using words like “please” and “thank you”
when on the phone. Key findings from the report include:
- As a consumer, you increase your
chances of getting a deal or discount by almost 50% just by being
nice to the agent.
- Callers are far more polite to agents
than the reverse. While 79% of callers are polite, only 57% of
agents show the same courtesy.
- When agents were polite to callers, the
average call was more than three minutes longer versus when they
used rude or disparaging terms, providing more time for agents to
try to sell and close a sale.
- One Marchex client quantified that
sales conversion rates could increase by more than 35% per year if
all their agents were polite on calls, resulting in an increase of
nearly $400,000 in monthly revenue, or almost $5 million per
year.
“While being polite to customers may seem like common sense for
service representatives, the data shows that agents aren’t actually
showing this courtesy in many cases, and ultimately it’s impacting
the bottom lines of the businesses they represent,” said Guy
Weismantel, Executive Vice President, Marketing, at Marchex. “This
further reinforces the importance of properly training customer
service teams. And for consumers, it’s a good reminder that in the
heat of a frustrating customer service moment, remaining calm is
your best bet. Being polite isn’t just about having good manners
and more pleasant conversations – it’s also a strategy that, when
put into action, can correlate into more lucrative deals for brands
and their customers alike.”
The Marchex Institute used Marchex Speech Analytics technology
to study over one million anonymized calls. These calls were placed
by consumers to businesses over a one-month period. Industries
analyzed included automotive, cable and satellite, telecom, home
services, hospitality services, moving services, and insurance.
About Marchex
Marchex is a mobile advertising analytics company that connects
online behavior to real-world, offline actions. By linking critical
touchpoints in the customer journey, Marchex’s products enable a
360-degree view of marketing effectiveness. Brands and agencies
utilize Marchex’s products to transform business performance.
About the Marchex
Institute
The Marchex Institute is a team of data scientists and analysts
that deliver customized reports and insights for clients of our
products and solutions. These findings inform business decisions
and measurably boost campaign and media spend returns. The
Institute’s analyses have been featured in The Wall Street Journal,
USA Today, Forbes, and other national media outlets.
Please visit www.marchex.com, www.marchex.com/blog
or @marchex on Twitter (Twitter.com/Marchex), where
Marchex discloses material information from time to time about
the company, its financial information, and its business.
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Marchex, Inc.Investor RelationsTrevor Caldwell,
206-331-3600ir@marchex.comorMedia Inquiries:March
Communications617-960-8896Marchex@marchcomms.com
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