Has there ever been a time when you tried to call an online business to ask a question and the customer service rep told you to "check the FAQ's on the website first"? I know I've read about this happening before to some people. Why is it that these companies try to avoid talking to a customer? Why can't they just simply answer the question and move on? What if the customer doesn't have access to the internet at that moment?
Some companies believe that when you call them, you're costing them money. I guess the logic is that the more incoming calls that come in, the more customer service reps they will need - which of course, costs money. I'm not really sure where the proof is in that assumption, but there was a study that was done that showed that customer service reps actually have the ability to turn those incoming calls into profits.
My only issue with the study is that a $100 prize was given to the five top customer service reps who had the most saved cancellations and up-sells. I'm all for rewarding your customer service reps, but incentives like these make the reps think more about selling and the money versus actually helping the customer with their problem. Prime example: AOL. Everyone knows how lousy their reps treat you if you don't want their service anymore. The reps get bonuses if they get you to continue using their service.
If you're a customer service rep reading this, please, just remember the priority.... What's more important, the money or the customer? Before you answer - think about where you'd be if there were no customers!
I train call center agents now. The reason for redirecting the clients is mostly because it's Standard Operating Procedure. Yes, most call centers do that a lot. Where I work, we answer all calls, whether it be inquiries or a customer lashing out. It's all part of the job... and the CUSTOMERS are our business!
Posted by: From Crabby to Happy | July 6, 2006 2:46 AM | Permalink to Comment