Reflections on Customer Experience in the 21st Century

Do you want someone to bite one of your employees? Because…

Thu, 01/26/2017 - 12:03

Is it just me, or does it seem like businesses are actually trying to outdo each other in poor customer experience? Now, I don’t want to be misunderstood, so let me be as clear as I can.

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I’m not talking about run-of-the-mill poor customer service like big box stores running skeleton crews as standard operating procedure, or chain stores hiring clueless youngsters and not training them (not the fault of the youngsters, btw). Although that is quite prevalent and has become a fairly routine model for many consumer-oriented businesses, it is almost benign compared to the fiendish efforts of communications conglomerates today. Yes, them.

Phone and internet service providers seem to be in competition to see which company can inflict the most, longest lasting, and cleverly contorted pain upon their customers as possible. Unfortunately, they are very good at being very bad. I can remember actually lauding my provider in 2011, but I moved to a different area, and they did not have internet service available for that particular location. So began the search for a new ISP provider.

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Comments

Submitted by Jasonrh003 on Thu, 01/26/2017 - 10:12

I know this daytime nightmare ALL TO WELL.

I had a problem with a cell phone and I called the OOOHHHH so convenient customer service #. After 10 minutes of the rat maze, I (with pen and paper) MAPPED the automated system/redundant loop! Press 1 for technical problems, Boop* press 3 for further options. boop* MAIN MENUE… WHAT?!......boop…beep….MAIN MENUE……BOOP, beep, beep, boop, BEEP, .. MAIN MENUE. This went on for another 15 minutes each path ending at the beginning. It was on lap number 12 of the race to nowhere that I was struck by an amazing thought. “Press 4 to add another line”…BEEP*…almost instantly “How may we help you.”

I exploded “Your troubleshooting is a useless maze! But, the moment I indicate spending more MONEY you are Johnny on the spot to assist!” the voice on the other end was actually scolding me for calling them with a technical problem. (I was cutting into those sales bonuses) the conversation continued with me pointing out where the companies and this employees focus really was. It was neither customer service nor loyalty having been a customer for many years. Then the employee offered to connect me to support, but instead sent me back into the maze. I canceled with them that day and made them eat all the restrictions and jargon used to tether you to the service. I did this in person, I find it impossible for them to hang up when you are face to face.

This also taught me to throw it back at them ON SITE. When they refer to a phone number or “EASY TO USE WEBSITE” I have them navigate it for me. 9 times out of 10 it’s not so easy even for them.

We have exactly the same situation in Sweden. I have had numerous problems with the phone and ISP companies, my worst experience was when my ISP tried to increase my bill retroactively under a 2 year fixed contract.

There is a gerat business opportunity waiting for a the person who starts a ISP/phone company that run it's buisiness with a mediocre service, a good service is not neeeded, mediocre will be miles ahead of nearest competitor.

I, too, have lived this nightmare. I won't go into details, let me just say that one of the two largest providers in the U. S. could not figure out how to connect my cellphone call from my Minnesota-purchased cell phone (with its 612 area code) to its call center in Virginia (where I am moving). Even when the rep in the St. Paul center tried to connect me directly with the Virginia call center, the call center's IVR saw my number and re-routed the call to another rep in St. Paul! At one point they thought I would have to wait until I moved to Virginia and call from a pay phone.

I really believe that this is the result of the Shareholder Primacy ideology. It used to be that companies needed to care about their customers to be profitable. Now it's about maximizing shareholder value, and if providing great customer service somehow fails to contribute to that goal, too bad... 

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