When I want to purchase a new product, either a car, a refrigerator,or a cell phone, I have learned to do my research about the company. Of course, I desire to know about the product line and the company, but I am very interested in the company's reputation for customer service.
How often have you purchased something as trivial as a cellphone and later regretted that you ever stepped foot into the company's store. Tough experience has taught me, not to buy a product simply because I like it. But to ask myself some questions. What if there is a problem and I want to talk to a human being? Will I have to wade through a list of options on my cell phone to get help, or to learn "Code" to navigate through its menus? Will I have to seek a translator to communicate with a foreign representative? Above all, I don't want to have an anxiety attack after I finish speaking with a customer service representative. I simply want to get my problem resolved, and do so as quickly as possible.
Recently, I had a problem with my bill, with a popular cell phone company. I wanted to speak with a customer service representative. I won't disclose the name of the company. (You'll probably guess who it is, anyway.)
I dialed their number from my cell phone, and then entered my security pin. A female voice admonished me that I should listen carefully to the menu because their menu options have changed. The menu had not only changed, but it appeared that more options had been added on and was longer than the last time I called.
Now here comes the real challenge. The voice informed me what my balance was and asked if I wanted to pay my bill. I didn't choose either, I wanted to speak to a person, and not listen to a computerized voice ask me a lot of questions. But talking to a person was not given as an option.
So, I did as I was advised and "listened carefully to the following menu." After piloting through a list of options, I finally reached an option to speak to a representative. (Why is that option, always the last option?). In-between interruptions of "we are experiencing un-usually long call times." (Which seemed to be all the time, or translates into, why not hire some more people?) I sat on hold, with incredibly loud music, in the background, and listened to the company's product updates for 6 minutes.
Finally, a person came on the line whose English was so beyond my understanding, I had to request a supervisor to translate it for me. I did learn to pronounce the rep's name, and I even inquired about the weather in China this time of year. In all, I was on that call for 45 minutes without any resolution to my problem.
Frustrated, and with a cup of Chamomile tea in hand, I turned to the company's website and signed onto the online, chat-room. Once again I waited for someone to connect. A representative signed on, with "Hello, my name is" ....... I waited for more but that was it! I didn't get another word. In all, I wasted two hours waiting and listening, and the only information I received was: the balance that I owed, and the choices of payment. This I concluded is always a first option, and the only option that doesn't require any assistance. It is the only menu that works perfectly without a glitch or an "un-usually long call time." Hence, I paid the bill and changed my cell phone carrier.
I have discovered that writing a tweet on a company's twitter page works, but you may not want your followers to know your business. However, it appears that the company has a representative on stand-by to intercept an angry tweet. Unfortunately, I admit that I have used this as a last resort, especially when I'm at my wits end. I always receive an email, or direct message immediately after my complaint posts, I even had someone call me on my phone and sent me an email. They told me that they were sorry I was unhappy, and wanted to help. It seems the company's image on social media is more important than your satisfaction on the phone. I wonder why that is??? Maybe there are more people watching on Twitter than are waiting on un-usually long call times.
My message here is to every company that sells, anything. Your product may be spectacular but if people hate to call your customer service you won't sell many products for long. I think I remember my professor in college making that point- in Marketing 101.
Finally, here are some of my suggestions for a great customer service experience: Skip the fancy websites, and telephone antics that apparently want to keep consumers from talking to a live person. Put people in your customer service that speak clearly, have patience and don't sound like they are reading a script. Also, train employees who are able to make a decision without keeping you on hold for 20 minutes. Employ people that at least try to address a customer's name correctly. Of course they should be polite, and not have a foul attitude. How's that for good customer service?