A global study commissioned by Genesys Telecom has found that promises made by board-level executives are not always in line with output by customer services.

The survey, entitled, 'The executive disconnect: The strategic alignment of customer service' was conducted to gain a clearer understanding of the challenges in matching customer service with companies' overall objectives. Over 900 organisations in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific took part in the research from sectors including financial services, manufacturing and technology.

It found that 92 per cent of workers in customer services and 85 per cent of board level directors agreed that customer care is central to the brand's identity – yet only 20 per cent of board-level executives and 20 per cent of those in customer care say their contact centres are 'very strategic'.

In addition, while 78 per cent of board-level respondents think their company is effective in identifying its customers' needs and alerting its sales department, only 62 per cent of those working in customer services agree.

Nearly three-quarters of board-level execs (73 per cent) think their company is putting more effort into measuring the value of customer loyalty than it really is – under two thirds (60 per cent) of customer services employees make the same overestimation.

The survey was conducted throughout April and May by Equation Research.

The results demonstrate how misaligned internal communications can influence how a company's brand is outwardly presented by its staff, which in turn affects how prospective clients perceive the brand.

For more on internal marketing, see B2B Marketing June, p30.

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