Improper Technology Can Ruin Customer Service

I am sure all of you have experienced the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) rat hole. Customer service in America continues to suffer at the expense of the consumer through poorly planned and poorly implemented IVR systems. Decision trees are weak and the last ditch effort to connect with a real human, when your issue doesn't fit the norm, causes a "I'm sorry, but I don't understand that option!"

It's not just small companies. Large technology giants and government agencies are just as bad, if not worse. Many large consumer communications firms have Call Centers located outside the United States. Many of these individuals are reading from a script, based on what they "think" your problem is. Their responses are far too verbose and add to the frustration of the end user, who after being transferred for the fourth time is now ready to go somewhere else simply because service is terrible. It is frustrating for the individuals that must respond to the customer as well, often ending the call by hanging up after the consumer has already spent forty-five minutes to an hour to get this far.

I can still recall one large computer manufacturer would not stand behind a product I had purchased just a few months before. Their response to the problem was "you broke it!". It took me eighty-five calls and they finally gave me what I wanted simply to get rid of me. The time I spent on the telephone to get what I wanted cost me more than simply purchasing a new product. It finally became a matter of principle. The reason for the run around? None of the CSRs could get past the script on their desktop. it wasn't until I contacted their corporate Public Relations department, explained the problem and threatened to smear them on the Internet. The corporate giant crumbled.

In the issue above, a proper call escalation and decision tree would have helped, instead of leaving the CSR to respond to an issue they didn't understand and often with a language gap. The consumer was frustrated, the employee was frustrated, and some managers in the line of command caught you-know-what for something which they were not aware.

Another peeve are systems that give you three brief options, all of which require an account or case number which you may not have. Guess what? No case number, no assistance. It is that simple and there is no place to go if you don't have one.

In all systems, there should be an opportunity to reach a real human that can make a decision as to where to appropriately transfer calls. Consumers are not mentally challenged, so cut down on the verbiage. I really don't want to hear what a wonderful company you are. Prove it to me by giving me exceptional service.

When setting up an IVR system, draw out the decision trees. In a large organization, get stakeholders involved as to where their calls are to be routed.

It boils down to simple communication and execution. Without it, service in America is headed for a full consumer Apocalypse. Some of the largest government, communication and computer companies globally, are already there.