Great article to learn from in Inc. this month: What’s Wrong With This Picture? Nothing!
One of those mornings-with-coffee-and-magazine where I happened
across an article I ended up ripping out, highlighting and making an
idea list for my own company from.
Like this quote:
"Self-service sounds like it’s about convenience, but it’s making the client do all the work. That is an anti-customer-service message."
— Dawson Rutter, Founder of Commonwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation explains why after buying a $50,000 phone system for his company, they immediately disabled the feature that forced callers to navigate through endless menu prompts. Phone Commonwealth and you are greeted instantly with the recorded assurance that your call will be answered within three rings. "And it is."– Leigh Buchanan, article author
I couldn’t agree with Dawson more! And neither could millions of other dissatisfied customers, but we all largely feel powerless to change this 20-year-old (now) shift away from customer service.
Pete I think it would be great if all the employees who eventually do get reached by frustrated customers would stage some kind of grass-roots effort to mutiny against telephone automation on behalf of the customers they are trying their best to care for … perhaps they need to get legal representation who could win a hostile working environment case for them! Customers are irate and ready to tear into them the moment they say hello … poor things don’t have a chance.
We feel powerless when we are alone, looking up at the “big guy,” but we CAN work together to effect change. A favorite Hawaiian saying is, Hāpai ka pohaku aka mai hāpai ke kaumaha: “Lift the rock and not the burden” ” many hands can get the job done!