Customer Pet Peeves
As customers, we will usually find, at some point, that we need to contact a business’ “Help Desk”. From many customers who’ve had to do this, one “pet peeve” emerges.
This is that the so-called “Help Desk” doesn’t actually “help”. Often, it’s an online function (with no phone number”). When customers send an email request help, the response is either a list of websites which may be able to answer the question (but often don’t), or customers are faced by a phone system automated (it seems) to drive them away.
The organisations that “get it right” are those that have trained people able to ask the questions needed to diagnose problems and then propose solutions, on the phone or online. Their challenge is dealing with customers who are not always able to articulate the problem clearly.
We’re often faced with this problem: the customer needing help but who can’t say exactly what, whilst on the business’ side, the set-up may not be geared to this situation. The response system has to flex between catering for those who can do independent research, or for those who need their “hand held”. Addressing only one part of the audience necessarily in dissatisfaction.
It ends up with “knowing our customers” and their preferred approach. Some businesses aim their product/service at those who are happy to go online in the new “generational paradigm” that teaches younger people to search online for answers that, in the past, were the preserve of “experts”. Others understand that certain elements of their customer base may lack the online research capabilities and inclination of others.
Whichever the case, we still deal with a wide range of abilities and inclinations. Whether those then become the subject of “peeves” is up to us.
I have spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
Labels: Customer Care, Selling, Teamwork
posted by William Martin @ 15:39
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