The KPMG International Global Customer Centre of Excellence has published a new survey highlighting the multiple impacts of the pandemic on customer behaviour.
The survey was conducted in 16 countries simultaneously with a sample of 18,567 consumers and Greece took part for the first time. The findings from the “Me, my life, my wallet” survey shine a light on the way in which enterprises must redefine their approach to meet the changing needs of their customers as they are today, as well as where they will be in future.
The situation in Greece
Greek consumers changed and adapted to the digital operation of shops, new methods of click away and click n’collect, a new way of working and of learning.
The survey found that because of the lockdown, consumers at a rate of:
* 85% believe that the manner and convenience of product delivery when shopping online plays a decisive role in their experience.
* 80% believe personalised information enhances loyalty and strengthens the relationship with the company, as it is no longer provided face-to-face.
* 70% tried new products during the Covid-19 pandemic and particularly products and services promoting health and well-being.
* 90% appreciate companies which promote corporate responsibility and whose actions are aligned with their own beliefs and values.
Key findings on a global level
- 36% of consumers would like companies to limit-resolve problems/delays related to product delivery.
- 49% of consumers have limited their purchases (versus saving) due to uncertainty and suspended work in effect in many countries.
- 80% of consumers prefer to shop from companies whose actions coincide with their own views and values.
- 90% of consumers are willing to pay more for products from companies which contribute to society.
- 55% of consumers assign high importance to the protection of their personal data, with 47% expecting that companies will not use or disclose their data to third parties.
- 44% stated that they use more (and diverse) technologies, such as mobile apps or digital assistants (voice-activated devices), compared to the pre-Covid-19 period.
“In the battle for growth, knowing your customer – intimately, personally and holistically – is what will likely separate the winners from the rest of the pack. And the critical prerequisite to this knowledge is data,” said Julio Hernandez, head of the Global Customer Centre of Excellence of the US Customer Advisory Lead KPMG in the USA. “Through data, organisations can craft deeply personalized experiences, can stop living in today and start predicting the customer of tomorrow. But without it, organisations are left in the dark, relying on outdated assumptions and imprecise generalisations. Knowing the evolving customer better can instil confidence in charting a path forward in such a dynamic environment.”
“People are looking for the best experience they can get, while the actual product only partially affects the choice. The intimate knowledge of customers and their needs is critically important for companies in this new era, if they are to respond in the best possible way to new parameters, to survive today and grow in the future,” said Tasos Pantos, Deputy Director, Customer Advisory, KPMG in Greece.
