87 Percent of Key Local Consumers Put Premium on Reaching a Business Immediately, New FastCall411 Survey Reports

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--If you’re frustrated with the overall state of customer service these days, you’re not alone. A new nationwide consumer survey from FastCall411 (www.fastcall411.com) confirms that 8 out of 10 Americans have little patience for merchants who don’t answer the phone – especially after repeated attempts to make contact. And when it comes to the key demographic for buying most home and professional services -- adults 35-44 -- that figure rises to nearly 88 percent.

“important, but other factors matter almost as much”

In the survey of 1,000 adults -- conducted in August for FastCall411 by Synovate, the Chicago market research firm – more than 80 percent said that an immediate phone response from a merchant was either “important” or “most important” in deciding to give that merchant the business.

The implications, according to Richard Rosen, founder and CEO of FastCall411, are two-fold. “The message to businesses is plain: answer your phone!,” Rosen said. “Voice mail, answering machines, unreturned calls, and unanswered ringing will send your customer straight to a competitor. The message to online local directories is equally clear: clean up your list. Your users have no patience with online searches that turn up six bad, disconnected or wrong numbers out of every 10.”

FastCall411’s consumer research complements an April 2007 survey of 5,000 local businesses, conducted in the Los Angeles area. In that study, nearly two-thirds of businesses listed in typical Internet and mobile directories were not responsive to an immediate consumer request for service. The company completed telephone calls to a diverse population of service businesses, from attorneys to auto body shops, from restaurants to pest control services. All were asked if they would accept a call from a consumer in need of immediate service. While 36 percent of those surveyed indicated that they would accept such a call, 64 percent had disconnected numbers, busy signals, did not answer or otherwise did not respond.

Designed to connect consumers with local businesses that are ready and available to provide services, FastCall411 is slated to unveil its innovative local search product later this month at DEMOfall 07, the premier launch venue for new products, technologies and companies.

Just Pick Up the Phone

According to the FastCall411/Synovate survey, four out of five Americans (82 percent) regard “immediate availability” by phone as an “important” or the “most important” consideration in selecting a local service provider, like a plumber or a locksmith:

28 percent overall described immediate availability as the “most important” factor – 31 percent of women, 25 percent of men
54 percent described immediate availability as “important, but other factors matter almost as much” – men more than women (57 percent to 51 percent)
13 percent of the sample said “other factors may be more important” – and there is virtually no difference there by gender

The survey findings do highlight some disparity by age:

        -- The youngest group is relatively less likely to put a
           premium on instant gratification - 65.5 percent of those
           18-24 ranked immediately availability as essential or
           "important," vs. 87.5 of those 35-44, the group that values
           it most

        -- More than any other age group, those 55 to 64 regard
           immediate availability as the "most important"
           consideration (34 percent)

Perhaps contradicting popular notions that the most affluent among us are the most demanding (or at least have the highest expectations), the survey indicated that those on the lowest rung of the income ladder – those making less than $25,000 annually – regard immediate availability as “the most important” consideration (33 percent, against 26 percent for those with incomes above $75,000).
In what may be a testament to the power of the “Honey Do” list, a higher percentage of those who aren’t married ranked immediate availability as “most important” (31 percent to 26 percent of marrieds)
Nowhere is the demographic difference on the issue of customer service more pronounced than in the area of race. The survey also indicated that non-whites tend to have higher expectations when attempting to reach local service providers than whites. While 26 percent of white Americans described immediate availability of local service providers as “most important,” 40 percent of non-whites described it as their top concern.
While 81 percent of respondents who own their own homes consider immediate availability of local service providers – who, after all, are generally making house calls -- essential or “important,” that breaks down to 26 percent in the “most important” column and 55 in the “important” class.

The FastCall411/Synovate survey has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent. For a full copy of the survey results, email info@edgecommunicationsinc.com.

About FastCall411

FastCall411 is the first product to make the merchant's availability and willingness to accept a call "right now" central to creating a quality local search experience for consumers. Founder Richard Rosen is a recognized leader in local search and pay-per-call, with more than 20 years' experience in the media and telecom industries. Rosen has pioneered developments over the last six years in phone-related applications for Jambo, Callsource, EyeCron and Move, Inc. For more information, please visit www.fastcall411.com.