Half of Brits (47 per cent) find endless junk mail more annoying than their commute to work
10.02.2016

Half of Brits (47 per cent) find endless junk mail more annoying than their commute to work

New research reveals one in three consumers in UK and Ireland will even move their custom elsewhere if this trend of irrelevant overcommunication persists   

Ricoh, London, 10th February 2016 – New research reveals the inundation of irrelevant communications and junk mail is pushing consumer loyalty in the UK and Ireland to breaking point, with the majority (84 per cent) ready to take action against brands. 

The research, commissioned by global IT services company Ricoh and carried out by Coleman Parkes, examined the relationship between brand communications and customer loyalty. 

Irrelevant communications, both online and paper-based, are a huge bug-bear for more than two-thirds of consumers in the UK and Ireland, who consider a quarter of what they receive to be junk. Nearly half (47 per cent) of consumers in the UK and Ireland even see junk mail as more frustrating than their commute to work. 

Beyond the mere frustration factor, consumers are suffering from being unable to sift through the flood of irrelevant information and poor quality comms. Nearly one in five (17 per cent) have missed a payment deadline, and 22 per cent have been unsure how much they owe for a service or even missed offers they were entitled to (33 per cent).

Brands need to beware that irrelevant communications are having a significantly detrimental impact on customer loyalty, trust and spend, and consumers are unafraid to bite back. Two-thirds (69 per cent) of consumers in the UK and Ireland report feeling less loyal to a brand spamming with irrelevant information, whilst a similar number would also spend less (68 per cent) and even go so far as to stop being a customer completely (57 per cent). Nearly a third (32 per cent) of consumers have moved their custom elsewhere, another fifth (22 per cent) have complained to a service provider, and over one in ten (14 per cent) have taken their complaint to an authoritative body.

Chas Moloney, Marketing Director Ricoh UK and Ireland, said: “Consumers across the UK and Ireland are clearly saying ‘enough is enough’ when it comes to the irrelevance and high volume of communication sent out by brands and service providers. In the digital age, it has never been more convenient to instantly communicate with customers, but it is equally just as easy to spam. 

“Brands need to find that crucial middle ground - communicating regularly and effectively without alienating customers. In today’s competitive landscape, businesses must do more to listen to their customers and provide a tailored, quality standard of communication - whether paper-based or digital, to ensure consumer loyalty.”

A majority of consumers in the UK and Ireland (65 per cent) believe more could be done to tailor communications to their individual circumstances. Three quarters (76 per cent) would even be willing to share personal data to make this happen, including occupation, salary, Internet browsing habits and health records. 

Consumers also increasingly view digital communications as their preferred method to receive information from brands and service providers: for new offers and upgrades (71 per cent), statements and bills (66 per cent) and updates to terms and conditions (64 per cent). 

Moloney continued: “Consumers want to feel like a brand knows them and is creating the most tailored and bespoke communication to cater for their needs and interests. This should not be taken as an excuse to ‘spam’ though.  Using consumer data correctly is imperative here. No matter whether they have a preference for digital communications – such as online bank statements – or a mix of electronic and paper-based, there is simply no excuse not to harness this insights to ensure communications are truly targeted, which in turn makes them effective and powerful.”

The industries viewed as currently sending the most relevant communications to consumers are the public sector (39 per cent), financial services (37 per cent), utilities (45 per cent) and healthcare (32 per cent).  With the exception of utilities, these industries were similarly seen to be the most trustworthy handlers of customer data. However, no single sector is viewed positively by more than half of consumers, which goes to show significant work still needs to be done by brands across all industries to bring confidence in their customer communications up to scratch.

“Businesses across the UK and Ireland have to streamline how they manage, distribute and collect data to ensure consistency across all channels. Information provided by customers should be used to create promotional offers and updates that are not only personal to the consumer, but also highly relevant to them. This results in the customer feeling truly valued, which ultimately drives loyalty and tangible benefits to the business,” concluded Moloney.

|About Ricoh|

Ricoh is a leading provider of integrated digital services and print and imaging solutions designed to support digital transformation of workplaces, workspaces and optimize business performance.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh’s global operation reaches customers in approximately 200 countries and regions, supported by cultivated knowledge, technologies, and organizational capabilities nurtured over its 85-year history. In the financial year ended March 2023, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,134 billion yen (approx. 16.0 billion USD).

It is Ricoh’s mission and vision to empower individuals to find Fulfillment through Work by understanding and transforming how people work so we can unleash their potential and creativity to realize a sustainable future. 

For further information, please visit www.ricoh.com

For further information, please contact: 

Ricoh UK
Monika Orolinova
Tel: +44 20 7655 0100
Email: press@ricoh.co.uk


Read our insights at: insights.ricoh.co.uk
Homepage: www.ricoh.co.uk
Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ricohuk
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ricohuk
Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ricoh-uk
Visit the Ricoh media centre at: https://www.ricoh.co.uk/news-events/news/index.html

© 2024 RICOH COMPANY, LTD. All rights reserved. All referenced product namesare the trademarks of their respective companies.