Sometimes we need to speak with a real live person

You know those times when you simply MUST speak to a live customer service rep? Now, do you remember all those times when you have seen grass grow a few inches while you waited on hold? Watched a few rounds of The Masters while listening to a flute-instumental version of Yesterday? Those moments of near insanity when you were scared to go to the bathroom for fear of losing your place in the mysterious call queue?

Well, do not hang up the phone. You deserve all the attention you think you have coming!

When I have to make an important customer service call, I always budget an hour to allow for hold times. I hate when I have to leave and I’m still on hold or in the middle of the fix. How many times have you put the call on hold after waiting several minutes and just for that second, you come back and the call is gone?

I know how frustrating this is. It has happened to all of us. One of the first questions I religiously ask when I call back (and have to wait through another large block of minutes to the speak with a rep) is “do you have my phone number and can you call me back should we get disconnected”?

It never ceases to astound me when I hear “I’m sorry Sir, we can only receive calls from this facility, we cannot place calls”. Huh?!?!?

Do we, as consumers, who are called by call centers all the time, really believe for a minute that a representative does not have the ability to call you back when you ask them to do so? I think not.

This is more a mater of policy than capability. It is definitely not due to limited technology. Most phones I have seen, no matter how advanced, have a keypad with numbers on it and can get dial tone. So how come no one can ever call me back?

When service centers fail to function in that manner, they really can't be called "customer care" or "customer service". When the dialogue is controlled and only allowed to flow one way, it is anything but care or service.

Technorati Tags: Call Centers Customer Service Customer Care