By WhatTheyThink
London - In an international survey from Two Sides carried out by research company Toluna, 2,500 consumers were asked their opinion on a variety of billing and statement related issues with a focus on the present supplier pressure to switch to electronic bills and statements; ‘e-billing’.
Key Findings:
Consumers are suspicious of environmental claims and appear confused by the environmental arguments used in the promotion of e-billing. Statements such as, “Go Green, Go Digital”, “Save Trees, Go Paperless” can do damage to corporate reputations.
Martyn Eustace, Director of Two Sides, comments, “The Survey shows that whilst electronic billing and statements are now becoming a standard billing method, consumers still want hard copy by post, or a combination of post and e-mail, and there are signs of frustration, from a significant section of consumers, with the tactics used to move consumers from post to e-mail. There is also mistrust of the motivation behind the pressure to switch”
The survey reveals for billers a danger of losing customers if consumers are pushed unwillingly to move to e-billing or subjected to cost penalties. A majority of consumers declare they will not choose companies that do not offer paper bills and are unconvinced about misleading environmental claims.
Eustace continues, “E-billing can be convenient however consumers are seeing through the dubious reasons billers give for changing to e-bills, such as ‘better for the environment’, and realise that their bill provider is just seeking to reduce costs. With 38% of consumers, now at their cost, printing all or some of their bills, the term ‘paper free billing’ must be challenged.
Over 33% of UK households do not own a computer and a properly printed and detailed paper bill is a basic necessity to monitor and record regular expenditure. Billing companies clearly need to review their strategies which are leading to the disenchantment of their customers and disenfranchisement of a significant part of the population. Consumer choice appears to have become a casualty of the digital revolution when it comes to billing.”
Over the past Two Years Two Sides has worked with major billing companies to counter misleading ‘Greenwash’. 80% of the marketing messages which tempted consumers to ‘go online’ because it’s ‘better for the environment’ have been withdrawn. There is growing evidence that digital communications have a significant environmental footprint and, responsibly used, paper can be the sustainable way to communicate.
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