COPC Inc. (Customer Operations Performance Center Inc.) and SOCAP International (Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals) released results of their first multi-industry benchmarking study for customer care.  Participants in the survey include 40 companies across five verticals (household/personal care, food/beverage, retail/consumer goods, pharmaceutical/medical devices, and travel/hospitality industries).  Key findings reveal:

• 98% provide customer service and/or post sales support
• 80%-plus utilize more than one support type
• 21% don't measure customer satisfaction
• 24% measuring customer satisfaction do not consistently achieve defined performance targets
• 65% have an external customer service center
• 95% have a quality monitoring process
• 89% do not utilize offshore support sites
• 33% use "temporary" agents to reflect the degree of seasonality in their business

"These survey results show that even during a down economy, companies are still finding value in monitoring quality and supporting the customer experience," said Matthew D'Uva, president of SOCAP. "The investments that companies are making to support their customers underscore the value of customer care professionals to businesses."

For more information about the benchmarking results, contact Marjorie Bynum of SOCAP at 703-519-3700.