I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest fan of the telephone. I don’t like to talk on the phone all that much. In fact my cell phone plan is for 450 minutes and I generally accumulate rollover minutes. At the same time, I love my iPhone for the numerous other communication options (twitter, facebook, IM, SMS, tumblr etc). Don’t want to talk on the phone? There’s an app for that.
So given how much I dislike talking on the phone, I’d like to build on that by pointing out something I dislike even more; talking to machines on the phone.
I can’t stand it.
I’ll admit, I’ve been in some seemingly endless phone calls with relatives but at least I’m talking to someone.
I’ve gotten calls from insurance companies or credit card companies and even my favorite, solicitors, where my phone rings and I’m immediately prompted with an automated message telling me to “please hold.”
I’ll repeat that because some of you may not have ever had the displeasure of this sort of experience. I get a call telling me to hold.
Seriously?
How does this help my demeanor going into that eventual interaction with a human being?
You have just dismissed the notion that my time is worthanything.
So now I’m waiting 30 -45 seconds for a human being to make their way to my call.
Why shouldn’t I hang up?
So then some customer service rep gets on the phone telling me some great news like that a bill is overdue and wants to know if I’d like to make a payment. Really? So now my time isn’t worth anything and you want money?
I have a hard time holding back the urge to make them cry for being so inconsiderate and rude, generally I fight it off and instead ask them to make a note in my account that I prefer humans to call me. I was born in 1980 and maybe I’m romanticizing the good old days, but was it always like this?
There used to be a time–I theorize–when you called a customer service line, you got customer service…from a human being. I don’t want Sally the automated robot helping me through my problem, the internet exists and it’s far more efficient than navigating through 4 preselected options, none of which answer my question.
When I call a customer service line or get a call from a customer service line, I’d really love to have my first interaction to be with a human being.
I am hereby calling on all companies that use some form of these automated systems to give us, the people, what we want…our problems fixed, our questions answered and our time respected.
I love Twitter as a customer service tool, I like Apple’s live chat feature, but when it comes to the phone, the only company I’ve seen get it right is Amazon. THEY call YOU…with a person.
No waiting on hold, no automated menus to select with your touchtone keypad. Nope, they call you when they’re ready so you can go about you next 10 minutes without the phone on your ear or listening to Muzak through your speakerphone. They respect my time.
Kudos Amazon, job well done for thinking about us, the customer.