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Can I Speak to a Live Human? |
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Written by Sarah Szczerbiak - Technical Support
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 According to a posting at a call centre blog posted by Steve Brubaker, Senior Vice President of Infocision (http://callcenterstoday.spaces.live.com/, 22 September entry), the number one thing that annoys customers the most is having to deal with automated messaging and menu options in order to get assistance or speak to a live human. Not surprisingly, a recent study done by Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, customers hate having to deal with these so-called "automated attendants" even more than being placed on hold. We live in a culture where the ideal result is to get efficient, effective assistance, without being given the runaround.
During the holiday season, I placed an Internet order with an internationally based boutique cosmetics bath products company called LUSH. I am a loyal user of their products, but since there are no retail shops located near me, my usual method of acquiring their offerings is to either place an order at their website, or seek out a retail location when traveling. As usual, I was very excited when I came home from work one evening to see that my order had arrived! However, my spirits were dampened slightly, when upon perusing the package contents, I found that one of my items was missing, and there was an unfamiliar product in its place. Even though by this point, I was already on the verge of running late for a concert I was attending that evening, I resigned myself to dialing their customer service number, and silently crossing my fingers that I could get this matter resolved quickly.
To my surprise, I only had to answer one automated menu prompt about whether I was calling from within, or outside of the United States. After I had selected the appropriate choice, I was immediately connected through to a live person who was genuinely concerned and apologetic about the error in the product contents my package. I merely had to read her a few details from the packing slip such as my order number, and the name of the person who had been responsible for preparing my order. Both bits of information were relatively easy to locate. After collecting that information, the service representative apologised for the mistake and assured me that she'd send the correct product out to me immediately, no questions asked. The whole process overall was quick and pain-free and after the call was finished, I felt satisfied that I had been well taken care of, and was confident that the issue was resolved appropriately. Sure enough, within a few days, the correct product had arrived on my doorstep.
Even the most enthusiastic users of a product or service can have their feelings tainted with just a single bad experience. That's why it's important to conduct business in a customer-centric way at all times. Furthermore, when things don't go as planned, it is especially important for customer service teams in every industry to make sure that every customer feels that their voice is heard, and that someone truly cares about their concerns. If human interaction is favoured over automated menus and formalised responses, the customer is more likely to feel that they are uniquely valued, and not seen as "just another customer." Therefore, they may be more apt to overlook or forgive a minor snag in their experience if the overall interaction was pleasant and helpful. Of course, this is the goal, since the intent is to keep customers happy and satisfied so they'll return in the future, and further strengthen the company's image in that consumer's mind. |
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Charlottesville, VA 22903
Phone: 434.244.5060
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