More than half of survey respondents prefer a phone call when being contacted for urgent matters by a retailer, but 60% have missed a call from a retailer because they didn’t recognize who was calling
First Orion, a leading provider of branded communication solutions for enterprises, today announces the findings of its 2022 Retail Industry Report that explores consumers’ preferences when communicating with retailers. First Orion surveyed more than 5,000 U.S. mobile subscribers in late 2021 about the brands they interact with, their perceptions of those brands based on calling behavior and their overall communication preferences.
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The survey results indicate that 54% of consumers prefer a phone call over messaging for urgent matters, a 25% increase from a survey conducted in early 2020. In addition, 43% of respondents prefer speaking with a live person over the phone when resolving a retail shopping issue remotely.
Retailers utilize multiple methods when reaching out to customers regarding general matters such as company updates, advertisements, deals and offers. However, email/mobile app (40%) and phone calls (37%) were the two most favorable methods survey takers said they wanted brands to use.
“Knowing which communication channel consumers prefer and when to utilize them is vital information retailers can use to increase engagement with customers,” said Sherri Schwartz, CMO at First Orion. “Retailers using phone calls in situations such as deliveries and customer services inquiries can improve productivity and increase customer engagement through the use of the readily available Branded Communication technology.”
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Three out of five people (60%) surveyed have missed a call from a retail store because they did not recognize the number that was calling. Additionally, nearly two-thirds (64%) of consumers said they would consider choosing a different retailer/brand if they properly identified themselves during an incoming call. Getting consumers to pick up the phone is a problem that goes beyond the retail industry. A recent survey found that 90% of people are uncomfortable answering an unidentified call, which can be attributed to consumers in the U.S. receiving around 110 billion scam calls in 2021.
First Orion’s Branded Communication solutions equip businesses with technology to deliver their name, number, and reason for calling. For retailers specifically, branded calling has increased contact rates by 40% while dropping decline rates by 50%.