Here our independant studies!

With independent studies we want to evaluate reliable and neutral information about the Status Quo of customer care in Germany. For this we always choose some interesting topics. Those cognitions are partly published (free of charge).

 

Partly we offer expanded information of our studies for a nominal sum. If you should be interested for further information, please use our order-form.

 

Please note that we naturally can not offer you any information about our client's projects.

But cognitions about our independant studies.

 

If you should have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask us. Willingly we give you more information.

 

previous studies:

 

Processing of e-mail enquiries by leading automotive enterprises

 

Benchmark-study about the processing of e-mail enquiries by the 18 leading automotive enterprises.

 

 

Processing of booklet enquiries by the 18 leading automotive enterprises

 

Benchmark-study about the processing of booklet enquiries by the 18 leading automotive enterprises.

 

The orientation of voters for the German parties regarding the election campaign 2005:

Benchmark-study about the e-mail processing regarding the Bundestag election 2005 of participating parties.

 

 

E-mail processing of the German automotive retailers

 

Benchmark-Study about the e-mail processing of the German automotive retailers.

 

Taken down by customer's expectations!

Benchmark-study about the processing of e-mail enquiries by the 18 leading automotive enterprises.

 

The communication via e-mail became an every day instrument. Everybody uses the advantages of that electronical communication instrument.

 

This trend is unstoppable. The popularity of that instrument may be explained by its comfort, low cost, the efficiency and the speed.

Expensive hotlines long waiting time, the canalization, limited service time and agents that have to "get the information first" can be avoided.

It also has the advantage that you have your answer in written form, so that misunderstandings can be lessened in comparison to a short phone call. The quickness of the transfer leads the customer to hope for a rapid answer.

 

Also enterprises prefers the customer to look for the answer in it's FAQ or to make there enquiry via self service in the internet or via e-mails. Because that means that there are fewer enquiries via the costly phone lines which on the other hand means that it is less necessary to keep many employees ready for unknown, unpredictable or Peaks in the short run.

 

Non the less the expectations of the customer's according actual studies shows that the customer would love to have the answer within 12 hours but not later than 24 hours.  At last the customer expects that they are of value to the company they expect a professional cutomer care.

 

According actual studies most customer's expect an answer within 24 hours. ~40% expect it within 12 hours.

How fast the leading automotive enterprises have answered the customer's enquiry is shown by the study of the international operating consultancy comcheck.

The mystery customer's from comcheck asked the 18 leading automotive companies 10 questions each, trough the contact form of their websites. Questions have been asked by potential new customer's or by actual customer's. 
 
The solutions have been disillusioning!

Only 77% of the enquiries have been answered at all. And the enterprises do take there time. On average they needed 5.1 working days for a reply.

Only BMW, Nissan, Škoda and Toyota did answer every enquiry. While BMW, Nissan and Toyota did not exceed 3 working days to answer any enquiry, it took Škoda on average 3,1 working days. So that from the four mentioned automotive enterprises only Škoda needed on average more than 2 working days. On the other hand Lexus didn't even answer one of the 12 enquiries.

11% of the enquiries have been answered within 12 hours and only 29% of the enquiries have been answered within 24 hours. Not even half of the enterprises have answered at least one enquiry within 12 hours.

BMW, Nissan and Toyota have also been those enterprises who answered more than half of the enquiries within 24 hours.

An average reply duration of 2 working days have been achieved by less than half of the automotive enterprises. Even after one week only 63% of the enquiries have been answered.

Fiat customer's had to wait the longest for an answer if they received one (60% reply rate). If they did we had to wait on average one month to receive an answer from Fiat. A customer who had asked for an authorized repair shop nearby had to wait 2 month until he received a reply from Fiat without any explanation or excuse. If this customer still needs this information?....

Benchmark values at a glance:

 

- Reply rate:                                          77%

- Average duration of reply:                      5,1 working days   

- Latest duration of reply in this test:         58 working days

- 12 hours Service level:                           11%

- 24 hours Service level:                           29%

- Customer orientating                             5,1 Punkte

 

 

„Customer satisfaction depends on the customer's expectations. The customer is only satisfied, if the customer expectations are full filled. But enthusiasm only occurs if the customer's expectations are excelled“. According Dipl.-Kfm. Christian Hogertz, manager of comcheck, the solutions are far away from the customer's expectations: „It seems like the companies couldn't keep up with the process. The expectations for an answer partly do not even fit a enquiry process via mail. The customer's expect a professional and friendly answer in a short run."

 

„Actually“, regarding Hogertz, „we can expect the automotive industry to lead the way regarding customer orientation because the single customer value is very high in this sector. It should be one important part of their goals to put much attention into the customer contact to keep up with the customer's expectations."

 

„One should always remember", advises Christian Hogertz, „that the CRM-philosophy aim is to build up a relationship with the customer and not only to look after the data base. It needs continuous effort to not only process a procedure but to go into a dialog with the customer."

 

 

The method:

 

Participating automotive enterprises in this independant Benchmark-study:

 

- Audi

- BMW

- Citroen

- Fiat

- Ford

- Kia

- Lexus

- Mazda

- Mercedes-Benz

- Nissan

- Opel

- Peugeot

- Porsche

- Renault

- Seat

- Škoda

- Toyota

- VW

 

The company:

 

The company comcheck is specialized to check the quality of it's client's customer relationship and to put the customer quality standard on a higher lever trough consultancy. comcheck already checks, analyses and consults many companies with different sizes trough project in now 24 countries on the European, the American, the Australien and the Asian market.

 

Within the framework of so called „Mystery Checks“ specified mystery customer's simulate a customer contact by order of various companies and enterprises. After this customer contact our mystery tester's documents and evaluate their experiences made. This method has the advantage to be more reliable and offers the client to check special criteria, in comparison to a market survey.

 

Further information:
 
Contact person: 	Christian Hogertz
Phone: 		0700-comcheck (0700-26624325)
Mobile: 		0179-4855815

 

This Study is available:

 

- As a PDF-File                                 via e-mail    EUR 490,00

- (additionally) as a hardback              via mail       EUR 510,00

 

(exclusive of VAT)

 

Content:

 

I.    Method Mystery Checks

II.   Design of that study at a glance

III.  Solutions for that benchmark-study

      I.    Answers regarding the time approach

            I.   Answering rate
            II.  Maximum answering duration
            III. Average answering duration
            IV. 12/24 hours Service level
            V.  Distribution answering duration
      II.   Answers regarding the content approach
      III.  Approach of the customer orientation
      IV.  Summarization per automotive enterprise
 

IV. Conclusion of the study

 

Size about 100 pages

 

Additionally:

 

EUR 190 coupon for a joint mystery checks project. This coupon is valid for one year.

 

You want to download this project summarization? Download as a PDF-File.  

 

 

 

Aventure purchasing a car

Study about the handling of enquiries for brochure

 

The 18 leading automotive enterprises have been asked to send an actual brochure via   

e-mail and phone.

 

Only 64% of our mystery customer's have received a brochure. Only half of the companies have answered all enquiries incl. a dispatch of the brochures. 22% of the tested companies did not even dispatch one brochure (Fiat, Kia, Lexus und Mercedes). 28% of the tested companies handled only 1 of 2 (50%) enquiries (Citroen, Mazda, Opel, Peugeot & Porsche).

 

Although this enquiry is a standard procedure it took on average one week until the brochure finally arrived.

 

Bad example: After 43 working days Fiat informed the customer via e-mail that the brochure will be send in the next days. The mystery customer gave up waiting after further 8 working days.

 

The method:

 

Participating automotive enterprises in this independant Benchmark-study:

 

- Audi

- BMW

- Citroen

- Fiat

- Ford

- Kia

- Lexus

- Mazda

- Mercedes-Benz

- Nissan

- Opel

- Peugeot

- Porsche

- Renault

- Seat

- Škoda

- Toyota

- VW

 

We assessed every brochure which arrived at the mystery customer within 2 month.

 

In our project for clients we usually wait for a reply at most 5-10 working days. While the Service level for such handlings is within 3 working days for the market.  

 

The company:

 

The company comcheck is specialized to check the quality of it's client's customer relationship and to put the customer quality standard on a higher lever trough consultancy. comcheck already checks, analyses and consults many companies with different sizes trough project in now 24 countries on the European, the American, the Australien and the Asian market.

 

Within the framework of so called „Mystery Checks“ specified mystery customer's simulate a customer contact by order of various companies and enterprises. After this customer contact our mystery tester's documents and evaluate their experiences made. This method has the advantage to be more reliable and offers the client to check special criteria, in comparison to a market survey.

 

Further information:
 
Contact person: 	Christian Hogertz
Phone: 		0700-comcheck (0700-26624325)
Mobile: 		0179-4855815

 

This Study is available:

 

- As a PDF-File                                 via e-mail    EUR 290,00

- (additionally) as a hardback              via mail       EUR 310,00

 

(exclusive of VAT)

 

Content:

 

- Method Mystery Checks

- Design of that study at a glance

- Solutions of that Benchmark-study per automotive enterprise

- Overview quota brochure sending

- Average duration until receiving the brochure

- Quoa price list enclosed

- Usage of key words

- Quote usage of positive product properties

- Individual evaluation

- Quota: answering the additional question

- Quota: enterprises offer to convey a test drive with the retailer

- Evaluation: general kindliness

- General facts per automotive enterprise

- Conclusion of that study

 

Size about: 60 pages

 

Additionally:

 

EUR 190 coupon for a joint mystery checks project. This coupon is valid for one year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Voters-orientation of the German parites for the Bundestag election 2005

 

Black-yellow to confident? Voters-orientation of the big parties.

 

comcheck wanted to know how much effort the big parties put into the answering of single citizen enquiries via e-mail just before the Bundestag election!

 

 

The myster tester of comcheck asked the following parties about actual problems: CDU, FDP, Linkspartei.PDS, SPD und Bündnis 90/Die Grünen via e-mail. For example questions about the social system, Hartz IV, Strategies to reduce unemployment, VAT.....

 

There have been many gaps between the duration of time and parties.

 

We received most answers within 24 hours by the FDP (30%). But if the citizen does not receive an answer within 24 hours he whether didn't received one (35%) or they did but very late (e.g. after 23 working days).

 

The CDU also took it's time to answer the citizens enquiries. It took on average 11.2 working days until an answer received the mystery tester. 

 

Complete different the political adversary. While 90/Die Grünen have been faster, but didn't processed every enquiry, the mystery tester's received an answer from the Linkspartei.PDS and SPD nearly for every enquiry. And most of all the fastest answers. With an average reply duration of 2.4 working days the SPD have won this under this point of view. The Linkspartei.PDS needed only 3.3 working days.

 

Unfortunately no party achieved to answer every e-mail. Here the relevant values at one glance:

 

E-mail answering rate for this project:

 

- FDP 65%

- Bündnis 90/Die Grünen 65%

- CDU 90%

- SPD 90%

- Linkspartei.PDS 95%

 

 

E-mail answering rate wihtin 3 working days:

 

- CDU 10%

- Bündnis 90/Die Grünen 25%

- FDP 30%

- SPD 80%

- Linkspartei.PDS 80%

 

 

E-mail average duration of reply in working days:

 

- CDU 11,2 working days

- FDP   7,6 working days   

- Bündnis 90/Die Grünen   4,3 working days

- Linkspartei.PDS   3,3 working days

- SPD   working days

 

Part of the mystery tester received the complete manifesto to a concrete question. The total opposite of an individual answer.

 

The method:

 

Inside the testing period 12.7.-28.7.05 20 e-mails with the same questions for every party have been sent.

 

Every e-mail was evaluated which arrived within the 16.08.2005. This means that the parties had at least 20 days to answer the e-mail. 

 

In our project for clients we usually wait for a reply at most 10 working days. While the Service level for such handlings is within 3 working days for the market.  

 

You want to download this project summarization? Download as a PDF-file.  

 

 

 

E-mail answer of German automotive retailers

 

The German automotive retailers don't need new customers!

 

This impression has been made by the mystery testers from comcheck when getting in touch with 112 selected automotive retailers nationwide via e-mail. Because many different and independant studies show the growing importance of the internet and the communication via e-mail in general but especially regarding the topic vehicle purchasing. comcheck made a very large study this summer about the reaction of German automotive brand retailers regarding e-mail enquiries.

 

Relevance of e-mail communication:

 

Many different and independent studies show the growing importance of the internet and the communication via e-mail in general but especially regarding the topic vehicle purchasing. In no case the automotive industry should take the liberty to neglect this customer channel. 

Fast reaction time and a reliable answer of customer enquiries should be a part of a standard procedure when it comes to e-mail communication.  Further more regarding to business contact there should be a minimum standard regarding how an enquiry should be processed, and how the content and appearance should be. 

 

At last the evaluation of that customer contact should be done because the customer is more open up in this situations regarding marketing relevant information than in most others.

So that an active customer enquiry can help to improve the customer's relationship without any further costs.

 

Design of that study: 

 

This Benchmark-study enfolded nationwide 112 automotive retailers of different automotive enterprises. The two biggest metropolitan areas have been chosen of the northern, the eastern, the southern, and the western region.  

 

For the northern region: Hamburg & Hanover

For the Eastern region: Berlin & Leipzig

For the southern region: Munich & Stuttgart

For the western region: Cologne & Frankfurt

 

For this benchmark-study the automotive retailers have been chosen via the automotive enterprises websites of the following brands:

  • Audi

  • BMW

  • Ford

  • Mercedes

  • Opel

  • Toyota

  • VW

Different evaluation criteria have been cumulated:

  • Quota: Answering duration

  • Answering quality regarding the content

  • Customer orientation

  • Selling orientation

  • General principles regarding the writing communication

 

Solution: 

 

Only 23.7% of all points have been made by all automotive retailers together. The findings are very unequal which is also shown by the fact that the clear winner received 90.5 points.

 

Only 43% of all enquiries have been answered. While 24 retailers (21,4%) didn't even answered one of the four enquiries, only 12 retailers (10,7%) answered every enquiry. Regarding every tested automotive enterprise the citizens of Hanover (~54%) have the biggest chance to receive an answer, while the citizens of Frankfurt have the smallest (~34%).

 

As a group of retailers the Mercedes retailers won this comparison. They answered 66% of the enquiries. While the Audi retailers only took care of 19%.

 

In general we can conclude that a customer receives an answer within the first three days. If he doesn't it is quite sure that he won't receive one.

 

Although the questions have been partly very common none enquiry has been answered more than 50%.

 

Also the formal criteria have been very week. Beneath many misspellings (negative winner: 24 faults in one e-mail) there have been much more and diverse formal weaknesses. For example e-mails without salutations or leave-taking and even e-mails with only keywords.

 

Regarding the bad experience made we can see that most automotive retailers are not prepared for e-mail enquiries or they just refuse to use this customer contact possibility. 

 

Because of the very low answering quota and the low quality of answers one might think that Although sales and benefits fall, that the topic customer care is still not involved in the processes of the concerned. 

 

This study is available:

 

Content:

 

You receive full description (~ 200 pages) about the evaluation of nationwide 112 automotive retailers in Germany.

 

This study contains the following topics:

 

- How does the communication of regional retails looks like?

- How does the communication of retails in cities looks like?

- How does the communication of retails grouped in brands looks like?

- How does the communication of every single retails in regions or cities looks like? Regarding 

  quality of answer, duration of reply, quota of handling, friendliness, compliance of formal

  requirements and selling orientation?

- Clues according general optimizing potentials

- Further information about your position in your market and your organization

- Your process with single rating 

- As a not participant of this study we evaluate for you your benchmark if you would have

  participated

 

price:        EUR 490,00           (exclusive of VAT)

 

 

 

 

You want to download this project summarization? Download as a PDF-File.