Temkin Group Research Finds Flaws in Phone Self-Service Experience of Large Retailers and Banks

Waban, MA, February 23, 2011 --(PR.com)-- In a new research report called “Locating A Store On The Phone Is Not Always Easy,” Temkin Group analyzes the phone self-service experiences at five large banks (Bank of America, Chase, Citibank, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo) and five large retailers (Home Depot, Kroger, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart). Using its SLICE-B experience review methodology, Temkin Group graded how effectively the phone experience supported a consumer looking for a nearby store or branch that met her needs.

"Given how much investment that companies make in their physical locations, they should make them easier to find,” stated Bruce Temkin, Customer Experience Transformist and Managing Partner of Temkin Group.

The research assesses the ability of a consumer to locate a nearby store and find the hours of operations based on a number of criteria. Target ended up with the highest score, receiving a 23 out of the maximum possible of 24. Chase was the only other company with an “excellent” rating, but its score was only 18. At the other end of the spectrum, the experiences of four companies were either mediocre or poor: Walgreens, Citibank, US Bank, and Bank Of America. Many of the companies lost points on the assessment because they offered limited search options.

According to Temkin: “Companies need to do a better job of thinking through their customers’ scenarios. Not everyone knows the zip code of location they are trying to find when they are on the phone.”

This report can be accessed from the Temkin Group website at http://www.temkingroup.com or from the blog, Customer Experience Matters, at http://experiencematters.wordpress.com.

For more information about Temkin Group, visit http://www.temkingroup.com.

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