People who complain to companies via e-mail are waiting longer to get a response: a study found only a third of top firms replied within 24 hours in 2007, compared with nearly two-thirds in 2002.

'There isn't a strategy in place that says it's important to treat the customer well.'—Scott Hornstein, Hornstein Associates

Nearly half — 49 per cent — did not reply at all in 2007, down from a high of 86 per cent five years earlier, according to the customer service study by Hornstein Associates.

The Connecticut-based marketing company said this year's 24-hour turnaround rate was the lowest since the first survey was conducted in 2001. Only 33 per cent of top firms responded within 24 hours in 2007, compared with a high of 63 per cent in 2002.

"I think it's a lack of strategy," Scott Hornstein, the founder of the marketing company, said of the slow turnaround time.

"I think we've got plenty of infrastructure, we've got more technology than we know what to do with. The problem is there isn't a strategy in place that says it's important to treat the customer well.

"We keep recreating the wheel, bringing new customers in to take the place of those who've had bad experiences and leave," Hornstein told CBC News Online.

The 49 surveyed companies — which included Microsoft, GE, Toyota, Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, Apple and Starbucks — were drawn from the Financial Times' list of most respected companies and Fortune's roll of most admired companies.

Hornstein conducted its survey by sending a one-sentence e-mail to each company, asking: "What is your corporate policy regarding the turnaround time for e-mails addressed to customer service?"

Brand building vs. quarterly performances

Robin Ritchie, a business professor at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, said the results of the survey aren't surprising but are certainly disappointing.

He said the findings reflect a common but short-sighted approach.

'Feedback from customers, good or bad, is a real opportunity to learn.'—Robin Ritchie, UWO marketing professor

"E-mailing makes complaining very easy and I don't think that's a bad thing," he said. "Feedback from customers, good or bad, is a real opportunity to learn what you're doing well and what you're doing badly. Good companies will encourage and solicit that feedback."

But in practice, Ritchie said, firms tend to put more money into things like advertising instead of customer support.

"I do think that firms just don't put enough money into monitoring, handling and responding to customer feedback," Ritchie said.

"It's the practical reality of the short-term focus of business, which is driven in part by stock-market valuations and even performance evaluation measures used by firms that really reward performance in the last quarter or the last year rather than long-term brand-building efforts."