New research has demonstrated the need for the retail industry to reward customer trust in communications, as increasing numbers are prepared to share their details in exchange for services such as delivery tracking updates and exclusive offers.
Business communications provider Esendex surveyed 1,000 consumers across the UK and Ireland as part of The Connected Consumer Report 2024 to understand communications behaviour, engagement and trust levels, and channel preferences.
The majority of consumers said they were willing to share their contact details with an organisation, recognising that mobile communications enhanced the service they received, while just 11 per cent were strongly opposed.
More than half of consumers reported trusting messages from businesses, but other findings indicated this trust needed to be earnt, as 80 per cent of respondents said they’d avoid or stop using an organisation due to the quality of its communications. This rose to approximately 85 per cent in both the 18 to 24, and 35 to 44 age brackets.
Commenting on the findings, Richard Hanscott, CEO of Esendex, said: “Businesses are eager to explore new ways to build and maintain meaningful relationships with their customers by understanding their preferences, while managing this information responsibly and compliantly.
“It is hugely positive news that the majority of consumers trust messages from businesses, but in order to expand and cement this trust, we need to engage with what consumers want – starting with transparent, consistent and reliable communications.”
A staggering 90 per cent of respondents also said that personalisation encourages them to take action at least some of the time – with 30 pe cent saying they did this either all or most of the time.
Richard added: “Personalisation is also proving popular with customers, who are more likely to engage with and respond positively to messages that feel tailored to them.
“Many are aware that companies need to use some of their data to deliver a personalised experience and are happy for them to do so, provided they have the assurance that this will be stored securely and used ethically.”
Across the retail industry, special offers and deals have become the norm, with last year’s Black Friday seeing more brands offer loyalty program members early access to holiday deals.
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