3C Contact Services Advises: Long On-Hold Wait Times Damaging to a Brand’s Reputation

Toronto, Canada – February 10, 2015— 3C Contact Services Inc., North America’s premier cost-effective provider of contact center solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses, is weighing in on how bad customer service can damage a brand’s reputation. The company is also announcing that its service level for answering calls surpasses the industry average.

“Customer service is the frontline for many brands. Oftentimes, it’s the first contact a customer has with a business after making a purchase,” says Damian Reyes, Customer Service Manager for 3C Contact Services Inc. “Failing to provide excellent customer service can translate into lost sales and damage a brand’s reputation, as study after study confirms that just one unpleasant experience with a contact center can force people to take their business elsewhere.”

Reyes explains that one of the most frustrating aspects of interacting with a customer service department is the amount of time the customer spends on hold. According to a recent study, 55% of customers won’t even call a business for fear of being kept on hold for an unreasonable amount of time. And of those who do call, 86% of callers are put on hold every time they contact a business, while 53% of people spend 10–20 minutes per week on hold. (Source: “55% of Customers Fear Being Put on Hold,” CallCentreHelper.com; www.callcentrehelper.com/55-of-customers-fear-being-put-on-hold-64599.htm, last accessed February 9, 2015.)

Given the opportunity, customers will take their business elsewhere after a poor customer service experience, which includes long on-hold wait times. They will also tell friends and colleagues not to use the business. The fact of the matter is that successful customer service teams understand the importance of maximizing every chance they get to interact with customers.

“A service level of 80/30 is a common goal for customer service teams; that means that 80% of calls are answered in 30 seconds or less. Long on-hold wait times lead to abandoned calls, which translates into lost customers,” Reyes adds. “At 3C Contact Services, we know that our customers deserve the best experience every time they interact with us. That’s why our metrics surpass the industry standards at 86/30.”

“3C Contact Services Inc. also surpasses industry standards in other important areas. The company has an overall customer satisfaction rate of 97%, which is far above industry standards of between 90% and 95%,” Reyes concludes. “3C Contact Services Inc. also maintains a shared services leading customer combined retention rate of 55%. And finally, companies that use 3C Contact Services Inc. have also seen their save rates improve by 43%.”

3C Contact Services Inc. provides its clients with top-quality, best-of-class outsourced contact center services. Specializing in customer retention strategies, 3C Contact Services has a dedicated and well-trained team of customer support specialists who provide excellent service, delivered consistently in a timely and cost-effective manner. To learn more about 3C Contact Services Inc., visit the company’s web site at  or contact 3C Contact Services at 1-888-353-2335 or via e-mail at d.reyes@3ccontactservices.com.