Media releases

VIRGIN MOBILE CANADA SURVEY REVEALS THAT CANADIANS "WANT IT" EVERY DAY

TORONTO (ONTARIO) June 17, 2015

New survey shows that Canadians are looking for more than a little lip service

Almost all Canadians (94 per cent) want it regularly, not just on special occasions. In this case, 'it' refers to customer service. 

Customer satisfaction is a hot topic in Canada's wireless industry. To understand what good customer service means to Canadians, Virgin Mobile Canada commissioned a national survey. The results are in, and it’s clear— when it comes to customer service, Canadians want consistency.

When asked how to best define customer service, the top three responses all focused on staff, with 79 per cent of Canadians wanting customer service reps to be friendly and courteous, 78 per cent hoping to deal with knowledgeable employees, and 70 per cent seeking staff who can problem solve. As for their biggest customer service turn-offs, 70 per cent of Canadians say they hate it when they can't speak to an actual person, followed by unresolved issues (69 per cent) and rude responses (68 per cent).

"All Canadians really want is for brands to show a little humanity when delivering customer service, "explains Erik Qualman, author and expert in social influence, trends and marketing. “Customers are looking for knowledgeable, courteous staff who care. And when brands show a customer they care enough to take the time and necessary effort to resolve their problem quickly, they often win a customer for life.”

Not surprisingly, 97 per cent of those surveyed say they’re more likely to stay with a brand if they’re provided with good customer service and 95 per cent say they would take their business elsewhere if they aren't getting good customer service. On a lighter note, 40 per cent of Canadians say they’d like their ideal customer service representative to sound like Morgan Freeman, followed by Taylor Swift (21 per cent).

Great service gets noticed. Earlier this month, Virgin Mobile Canada was awarded “Highest Ranked Purchase Experience among Wireless Providers in the J.D. Power 2015 Canadian Wireless Purchase Experience Study^SM.”[1] This study examines wireless carriers’ performance across sales-related activities in-store, over the phone and online.

"Since day one, Virgin Mobile has understood the importance of consistently delivering heartfelt service," says Joseph Ottorino, managing director, Virgin Mobile Canada. "Our reps are knowledgeable, friendly and problem-solving savvy. We’re committed to providing our Members with the best experiences and have been doing exactly this for past 10 years."

The survey, conducted by Vision Critical, also showed that with word-of-mouth travelling fast in the social media age, it's more essential than ever for brands to prioritize customer service. Today, nearly half (43 per cent) of Canadians have used social media to share their customer service experiences. Of those, 87 per cent have used social media to share positive customer service experiences, with 80 per cent sharing negative experiences online. Canadians know what they want when it comes to customer service, and they expect brands to deliver.

Additional survey findings:

• 38% of Canadians would prefer to connect with brands for questions and customer service in-person, followed by on the phone (33%), online (26%), and social media (3%).
• Canadian millennials (aged 18-34) are the most likely age group to have shared their customer service experiences using social media (55%).
• When it comes to customer service, younger Canadian millenials are the most likely to be turned off by rude responses (75%) and having their issue not be taken seriously (62%).

About Virgin Mobile Canada

At Virgin Mobile, you're not a customer, you’re a Member and "Members Get" exclusive deals from awesome brands, a shot at VIP access and one-of-a-kind experiences to events in Canada and around the world. That's on top of super-hot smartphones on ridiculously-fast LTE speeds and plans with loads of extras built right in! Virgin Mobile Members and Canadians can do some good in their local communities by helping empower at-risk and homeless youth in Canada with Virgin Mobile RE*Generation.

Wanna hook up? There are loads of ways: head online or call 1-888-999-2321 to get in the know. Get personal with Virgin Mobile Canada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

About THE SURVEY

From May 19th to May 20th, 2015 an online survey was conducted among 1,504 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error - which measures sampling variability - is +/-2.5%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec, language) Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

[1] J.D Power Disclaimer:  Virgin Mobile received the highest numerical score in the proprietary J.D. Power 2015 Canadian Wireless Purchase Experience Study^SM Study based on responses from 5,120 consumers, includes 8 wireless providers, and measures opinions of consumers who purchased a wireless product or service within the last 12 months. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed October 2014 - March 2015. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com

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