Devoted to customer service and the principles of exceptional customer services

I called a company today to take care of some business - only to be taken through a long list of menu options. I was listening for an option that fit my need, but after option number five, the A.D.D. kicked in and I decided to multi-task.  Consequently, I ended up missing the option I needed and had to go through the menu again.  That took about 20 minutes out of my day just to get a simple question answered! 

Dr. Ellen Weber over at BrainBasedBusiness has a post on how phone menus and long wait times affect your brain and your business:

"First… they fill your short term memory with many empty words which prevent you from concentrating on your work while you wait for their slow operators…. That eats time… works against your brain… and costs you business on a busy day….

Second… they create cortisol in your brain… so that you are not taking in or making positive associations between their name and their “happy talk in your ear about who they are and how great is their service… and how they appreciate your patience while you continue to wait for them…”

I happen to know some business owners who create these menus to make it seem like they have a "big" company - but they don't actually have specialized departments that handle inquiries - only one or two people are actually answering the phones!  Why? Just so your business could look "professional"?  Just save me the ten minutes!

This picture was taken from a Twilight Zone episode.  That's how I look when there are too many menu options!