More than half of global customers are uncomfortable with how their data is being used by companies, according to a survey.
“Customers say companies can earn their trust by taking certain steps, such as giving them control over how their data is applied and being transparent with how it’s used,” according to the survey conducted by Salesforce, a San Francisco-based cloud-computing firm.
“Delivering personalised experiences requires a data-driven, 360-degree view — but more than half of [the] respondents are uncomfortable with how their data is used,” said the survey titled ‘State of the connected customer.’
Salesforce generated responses from 6,723 individuals in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, France, German, Hong Kong, India, Japan, U.S., the U.K., among other nations, between March 26 — April 12, 2018. Rising generations take for granted that they can order almost anything by just talking to a device. But their parents remember the time when mail order catalogues were the norm. “Suffice to say, technology is raising customer standards at a breakneck pace.“For businesses, there’s more focus than ever on going beyond the expected product or service, to deliver a customer experience that truly differentiates. But while expectations for personalised, connected experiences are soaring, trust in companies to responsibly handle the data they require is bottoming out,” said the report.
Fifty-seven percent of customers (including 62% of the consumers) are uncomfortable with how companies use their personal information. Part of this discomfort may stem from the simple fact that so many customers feel confused about how firms use their data in the first place.
“Overwhelming majorities are willing to share relevant personal information (or in the case of business buyers, professional information) in exchange for perks like personalised offers, personalised shopping experiences, and consistent omnichannel interactions.”
Forty-eight per cent of customers (including 51% of consumers who buy products for themselves) believe companies do a bad job at protecting their personal information.
RoI in data practices
“Companies must develop strong privacy policies and demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding data to show that they have customers’ best interests at heart. But while sound policies and transparency are critical, companies earn the most trust by putting customers in the driver’s seat of data use.
“Ninety-two per cent of customers are more likely to trust companies that give them control over what information is collected about them. The RoI of sound data practices extends beyond trust,” said the report.
