Global business automation and connectivity platform Quadient has released results from a survey into customer communication preferences involving 6,000 consumers in the UK, France, and the United States.
Despite the 2,000 UK consumers surveyed living in a digital world, the traditional letter is still very much alive with 79% of respondents confirming they sent a physical letter in the previous year, while 53% indicated they are more likely to act on an urgent letter than any form of digital communication.
“The ongoing trust in letters shows that, at heart, we still have a romantic attachment to physical mail,” says Andrew Stevens, Principal, Quadient. “But this is married with practicality.
We live in an interconnected world, where people want to receive the right message, at the right time, over the right channel.
Failing to do this correctly can harm an organisation considerably.”
Respondents were also clear on which industries are succeeding or failing at communication.
Banking is by far the leader at sending relevant, timely information over appropriate channels; responding to requests; and allowing customers to change their preferences, followed by utilities.
At the end of the scale, property is ranked lowest: suggesting these businesses may need to review their approach to communication.
Part of this will be ensuring they are not limited to only a few communication channels. 62% of consumers would like companies to communicate with them over more than one channel, since every form of communication – from letters to emails, texts and in-app messaging – has its own strengths.
Right message, right time, right channel
The research investigated when and why consumers prefer different communications channels.
There were aspects of physical mail that digital communication can never match: 63% of UK consumers worry about missing important digital communications because they don’t look important enough or go straight to the junk folder, while 59% find it increasingly difficult to work out whether digital communications are important or not.
In general, the UK expects email for most communications.
But there are exceptions: for medical appointments they prefer text messages, while physical mail is the channel of choice for minor fines, and for tenancy or mortgage agreements.
Similarly, respondents were clear on the benefits of each channel: the physicality and ease of storage and reference of letters; the immediacy of email; and the convenience of SMS and in-app messages, where every interaction can be performed on a smartphone and all relevant information and activity is in one place.
The ongoing trust in letters shows that, at heart, we still have a romantic attachment to physical mail...
“It’s clear that there is no single, golden solution for customer communication,” continues Stevens. “Despite the push to digital we can see that letters are still important in our world, especially for communications that really matter like legal matters or a roof over your head.
Businesses that want to meet their customers’ desires will inevitably move to digital.
But this cannot be done without taking all customers’ preferences into consideration, and ensuring the business is making the best use of all its channels without cutting anyone off.”
Respondents were also clear that there are communication failures. 42% of consumers have received incorrect or inaccurate communications in the past year – for instance containing mistakes around their name, marital status or gender; that was sent to the wrong address; or even that was meant for someone else entirely.
Worryingly, those organisations we trust with our most sensitive data were not immune: 20% received these communications from healthcare.
21st century communications
The research also touched upon consumers’ attitudes to the future of communications: including use of AI and consumers’ data, and the environmental impact of their communication choices.
Yet 61% would still be willing to share their personal data with organisations in return for perks such as discounts or greater access to services.-item wp:list-item
And 52% would like more guidance on which communication preferences they should choose to reduce their environmental impact.-item
The global view
These statistics form part of a global survey of 6,000 consumers in the UK, France, and the USA.
While each nation has unique differences – the UK is less trusting of AI; France is more concerned about environmental impacts; and the USA vastly prefers SMS as a communication channel – overall all consumers are agreed on the fundamentals of customer communication.
They believe that physical mail still has a role to play, and that no single channel can satisfy their communication needs.
Organisations need to take these lessons to heart, ensuring they are building strategies and using the appropriate tools to reach customers anywhere with the right message, at the right time, over the right channel.
