North America, UK communications customers left wanting

Communications providers in North America (US and Canada) and the UK fall short in terms of customer service through electronic channels, according to eGain Communications' 2008 international benchmarking report for the communications sector.

The study shows that 20% of the companies in the two markets simply ignored customer emails, while 45% failed to respond within 24 hours. Of those who do respond, 45% of the responses are "poor" or "below average" in quality.

While 55% scored "above average" or "exceptional" in web self-service, 45% received "poor" or "below average" marks, showing a dichotomy among the best and worst performers.