News Release Details

Being nice to your customer service agent could just get you the deal or discount you’re looking for

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 7, 2017-- In today’s instant gratification culture, manners, courtesy and etiquette are often left behind. Yet, according to a new report released today by the Marchex Institute, of Marchex, (NASDAQ: MCHX) titled “Politeness Pays,” politeness – or lack thereof – can have a significant impact on purchase decisions and sales results.

With rudeness on the rise, a lack of social etiquette could be costly. In fact, businesses and consumers alike can benefit financially by simply using words like “please” and “thank you” when on the phone. Key findings from the report include:

• As a consumer, you increase your chances of getting a deal or discount by almost 50% just by being nice to the agent.
• Callers are far more polite to agents than the reverse. While 79% of callers are polite, only 57% of agents show the same courtesy.
• When agents were polite to callers, the average call was more than three minutes longer versus when they used rude or disparaging terms, providing more time for agents to try to sell and close a sale.
• One Marchex client quantified that sales conversion rates could increase by more than 35% per year if all their agents were polite on calls, resulting in an increase of nearly $400,000 in monthly revenue, or almost $5 million per year.

“While being polite to customers may seem like common sense for service representatives, the data shows that agents aren’t actually showing this courtesy in many cases, and ultimately it’s impacting the bottom lines of the businesses they represent,” said Guy Weismantel, Executive Vice President, Marketing, at Marchex. “This further reinforces the importance of properly training customer service teams. And for consumers, it’s a good reminder that in the heat of a frustrating customer service moment, remaining calm is your best bet. Being polite isn’t just about having good manners and more pleasant conversations – it’s also a strategy that, when put into action, can correlate into more lucrative deals for brands and their customers alike.”

The Marchex Institute used Marchex Speech Analytics technology to study over one million anonymized calls. These calls were placed by consumers to businesses over a one-month period. Industries analyzed included automotive, cable and satellite, telecom, home services, hospitality services, moving services, and insurance.

About Marchex

Marchex is a mobile advertising analytics company that connects online behavior to real-world, offline actions. By linking critical touchpoints in the customer journey, Marchex’s products enable a 360-degree view of marketing effectiveness. Brands and agencies utilize Marchex’s products to transform business performance.

About the Marchex Institute

The Marchex Institute is a team of data scientists and analysts that deliver customized reports and insights for clients of our products and solutions. These findings inform business decisions and measurably boost campaign and media spend returns. The Institute’s analyses have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, and other national media outlets.

Please visit www.marchex.com, www.marchex.com/blog or @marchex on Twitter (Twitter.com/Marchex), where Marchex discloses material information from time to time about the company, its financial information, and its business.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170607005288/en/

Source: Marchex

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