07 October 2015
Face-to-face surveys becoming obsolete as feedback goes real-time

Exceptional customer service is being touted as the outright winner in future brand differentiation, client retention and new business generation in the UAE with digital engagement now transforming its delivery.

According to Robert Keay, founder and co-owner of Dubai-based Ethos Integrated Solutions, the regional leader in delivering excellence in customer service solutions, businesses are increasingly turning to digital solutions to service clients and also to secure vital, real time market intelligence.

"Customers want solutions to problems quicker than ever and businesses need to know, in record time, of service delivery road blocks and how products and services, including those of their competitors, are being received - and technology is now capable of meeting these real-time needs," said Keay, who's also co-founder and Chairman of London-headquartered The International Customer Service Institute (TICSI).

"In the digital age, information is king and the best way to get real time customer feedback is through using the latest technologies," explained Keay.  "The traditional face-to-face surveys are being replaced by smart survey solutions that allow customers to respond to short questionnaires immediately after they have been through the customer experience, so when leaving a store, collecting a car from the dealer, having a meal etc. Digital technology means that real time customer feedback can be collected and at costs which are much lower than traditional surveys."

Keay said the digital customer service revolution has led Ethos to embark on an 18-month-long, in-house development of a cloud-based, smart phone-enabled app gives businesses real-time feedback directly from their customers at around half the normal cost.

"The launch of the app is imminent," said Keay. "We will roll it out, first within the UAE and then expand to the region and beyond."

Apart from reducing data-gathering costs, the new technology, says Keay, will prompt faster-to-market improvements in product and service delivery to the benefit of customers.

"Most certainly, customer experience is the playing field that organisations are now focussing on and rather than getting customer feedback then taking weeks or months to react, organisations are now putting in place comprehensive customer experience journey maps to better understand what decisions to make quickly and effectively.

"Over the past three years there's been a distinct uptake in businesses ramping up their service efforts across the entire customer experience to improve sales," explained Keay. "It's a two-way street of mutual benefits - lower costs and faster reaction times and increased sales for businesses and improved services for the consumer."

Technology's increasing role in customer service delivery is recognised in the annual Ethos Service Olympian Awards. The only independent honours which recognise the region's customer service leaders, the awards include an accolade for the 'Best Use Of Technology To Benefit Customers.'

The 2015 awards are free-to-enter for public and private sector organisations and open for applications until October 31st via: www.serviceolympian.com

For phone interviews with Robert Keay, please contact:
Rabia Rathore
Action Global Communications
Email: rabia.r@actionprgroup.com 
Tel: +971 4 390 2960

About Ethos Integrated Solutions:
Headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, Ethos Integrated Solutions has served the Arabian Gulf market for 11 years and is now the region's leading provider in delivering excellence for customer experience. To support its clients, this multi-award-winning company developed a range of Mystery Shopping, Customer Experience Training and Consultancy Solutions that help achieve sustainable competitive advantage in service quality. Ethos has a wealth of experience across a broad spectrum of industries in both the public and private Sectors. Existing clients enjoy easy access to information on their customer experience measurement and customer experience improvement projects using the Ethos range of unique e-Solutions.

For more information: www.ethosplc.com

© Press Release 2015