Your call is important to us....
Previously, we looked at how some companies are economical with the truth when it comes to measuring Customer Service. Today we take a look at how your telephone face to the customer can be helping or hindering your business.
I don’t know about you but I struggle with the 'press button X for Y' commands from the robotic voices and frustration quickly sets in as the red mist gathers. Frequently, you have to press more and more buttons and listen to awful music, inevitable adverts and fobbing off suggestions to 'visit our website for frequently asked questions'. Invariably you either end up with a person who cannot help you or the line simply drops and you are left listening to the sound of silence, which is better than Greensleeves to be fair.
Even Blondie would be frustrated
Why is it not possible for the very pleasant person with whom you did successfully speak, to redirect the call to the appropriate desk? Maybe it is because the desk occupants are at home sipping coffee in their pyjamas or perhaps in a different continent. Or, is it that they could transfer you but are not allowed to do this for some Orwellian reason? If the initial call is answered by a human being there is a fair chance you could be put through to the person who could solve the problem (or even the opportunity?) the customer is kindly bringing to your attention.
If the number is a paid number then every extra second is stealing money from your customer while they try and escape the vortexed clutches of the faceless robotic speech. 'Aha, but our Customer Service number is a free phone service so that makes it ok', I hear you shout. Think about it! Very little is free in this world and that phone service is being paid by somebody and that is you, the Producer! In parallel of course, the caller is starting to feel less like a customer of yours.
Press novem for Latin
Top of the frustration list must be the language choice selection. I know I have touched on this previously but it is getting worse. If you are outside UK you are usually invited to press 2 for the English service and a new robot tells you 'all our agents are busy right now but your call is important to us, blah, blah, blah' – busy answering misdirected calls probably!
When finally the phone is answered and you speak in English you either get a silence which never ends or the more frequent slamming down of the phone as if you just said something very abusive. I followed your guidance and pressed the right button yet I did not get the English service = very unhappy customer with an unsolved issue.
Undercover boss?
Not all companies get the chance to directly interact with the people who empty their pockets in support of your annual targets, so when that contact happens, don't mess it up! If you offer a Customer Service line make sure it works well and its efficacy is measured by some simple Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), e.g. time to answer, desk bounces, dropped calls etc. As ever, trust is good but check is better so why not employ a 'mystery caller' periodically to understand the reality of your service offering? That could be you CEO!
I leave you with this thought. While the service reputation of your company is at risk here the only sure winners are the telephone network companies..........
Help, I need somebody!
If you have any Customer Service, Supply Chain or Route to Market problems or opportunities you would like to discuss, then please reach out to Enchange.com via telephone, email or live chat.
