GBS WORLD NEWS | WEEK 1 | DECEMBER 2021

Poor customer service threatens $4,7 trillion in annual revenue from global consumers who are dissatisfied with customer service. The 2022 Global Consumer Trends report by Qualtrics was compiled from interviews with over 23,000 consumers across 23 countries. The report found that 80% of consumers believe customer experiences need to be improved. 62% of global consumers said businesses need to care more about them and 63% said companies need to get better at listening to their feedback.

Speaking of expectations, drones are being deployed to drive instant gratification and speed-up deliveries by many global e-commerce enterprises according to Wise Marketer. The shipping, food, medication, textiles and clothing – as well as the drone industry itself – are set to be completely transformed with this enabling technology.

There was much industry activity in Europe recently, where Sitel, Vodafone, Gousto and Teleperformance Netherlands were some of the winners in the 2021 ECCCSA Contact Centre Awards, the largest European contact center awards event. Sitel was crowned as the Best Pan-European Contact Center, while Guosto bagged two awards: Most Effective Digital Customer Experience and Small Contact Center of the Year. Teleperformance Netherlands won Most Effective Management of Peak Demand and Vodafone took home the Best Use of Customer Insight award.

In the US, Home Depot reported healthy Q3 results, achieving a 9.3% surge in sales and US$36,8 billion in revenue. This is US$3,3 billion more than what the home improvement giant generated in Q3 2020, and largely a result of agility and flexibility in its response to rising demand in home improvement products.

Also in North America, Canada’s first online car retailing platform, Clutch, has raised CAD$100 million Series B equity financing, boosting its ability to provide a unique, online experience for buying pre-owned cars. Established in 2016, Clutch has prioritized customer experience for online car buyers with differentiating factors including a rigorous 210-point inspection, high-resolution 360° photos of each vehicle, a free instant CarFax report and access to a wide range of financing options.

Indian IT services, consulting and business solutions conglomerate, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has been recognized as a Leader and Star Performer in the Everest Group PEAK Matrix® for Banking Operations Services. Tata’s strong vision and operational capabilities, along with the large clients added to its portfolio and an expanded footprint in emerging geographies, were some of the primary factors resulting in it being placed at the top of the matrix.

More awards were handed out, this time to a South African global online trading provider, Globex360°, which won three awards from International Business Magazine, including ‘Fastest Global Expanding Broker South Africa 2021’, ‘Best Customer Service South Africa 2021’ and ‘Most Innovative Broker South Africa 2021’. Globex360° trading offerings range from Forex to precious metals to cryptocurrencies, where it is known for its instant deposits and same day withdrawals.