Despite this, 76% of respondents claimed that they would pay more for goods if they knew that they could rely on better customer service.
Over half of the respondents or 53% said that their opinion had decreased with financial services companies in particular. However, First Direct bank was singled out for praise by 17% of people, whose opinion of the company had been enhanced by call centre experience.
Contacting a call centre by phone was still the preferred method for 83% of respondents, with the remainder opting for email.
When asked about ways to improve call centres 57% said: "Employ agents who know more and are able to handle my call quickly", followed by 35% saying: "Reduce the number of automated menus".
Gerard Buckley, CEO of Transversal, said: "Customers are still banging on the same drum and it's clear from this survey that organisations still have some way to go to satisfy them. Greater speed, knowledge and consistency of response are still seen as the key requirements for customers."
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