This is Bob. How can I assist you? (I guarantee his name is not Bob)
I’m calling to dispute the charge on my bill for two bags checked on United Airlines.
Were your bags lost?
No. There weren’t two bags. Only one.
Did they deliver your lost bag?
It wasn’t lost.
Why are you calling then?
Because I only checked one bag. I was charged for two.
So you have one bag. The other one is missing.
No. I only had one bag.
Do you have your card in your possession?
Yes. It’s in my wallet.
I will have to transfer you to our fraud division. Can you hold on for a while?
Listen, this is not fraud. I just want credit for the $25.00 I was charged for the second bag which I did not check.
We can cancel your card and get you a new one within ten days. Just hold on.
DON’T CANCEL MY CARD. I NEED IT. Just forget it!
Thank you for calling. I hope I have answered all your questions.
This call is not an exaggeration. It is an example of what has happened to service with so many companies sending our American jobs overseas. Those call centers just don’t get us even if they adopt fictitious American names.
And it is a signal that we can still make it by going back to old fashioned customer contact and service.
When the debacle started in the financial world, my stockbroker called me right away. A smart guy – a CFP.
I was surprised to hear from him because I was sure he was in bed with his blankie over his head.
“Is everyone calling you?” I asked. “You must be going nuts.”
“If they don’t call me, I call them. Often. Some daily. Or I go out to see them.”
He hasn’t lost one account. And although he might make a suggestion about adjustments to an account, it is not because of his sage advice. Nobody knows what to do right now.
People are worried – some in panic. They know that a lot of this volatility is out of our control but they want to hear that someone is out there caring about them and watching their back. Listening to them. Alert to possibilities.
Our clients are waiting to hear from us. We may not have answers but our inclination is to ignore them because we will hear only bad news. Complaints.
That is our job now. To be there in the rough times. We are in the complaint business.
Do you think they will forget us when things improve? No way. You stick with your friends.
Things will get better. The good times will roll again. And those call center jobs overseas will come back home.
Because we are sick of it.
We want FACE TIME. With a person who has a real name.
A person who shows up and gets us.
Take a look – Sales, Lies and Naked Truths
And some words from Jonathan Fields where I stole this idea!
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Corinne,
I really liked this piece. I have had experiences, not in the financial area, that led me to question why companies go outside of the U.S. to facilitate help to its customers. I am not knocking the people who are in foreign lands doing this for a living. I do question how frustrating it is for me as a customer to have to communicate with someone who does not know English well enough to help me.
I also identified with your CFP guy. I have the same kind of person who helps me–and it is real help. He is available within minutes after I call him. I really appreciate that. I told him so and sent your article to him.
In terms of the economy if we all stick together, we won’t hang separately–and it is nice to have someone to at least hear and understand our problems
best,
bernie
Once again, you nailed it. There will be some good things about this so-called “recession” and one of them is – the re-emergence of customer service.
Just about every call I make these days to reduce costs: like the damnable AT&T, Comcast, etc) presents on the other end, an American human being who is basically afraid of losing his job and so is sucking up because he knows he’s being monitored (the damnable Big Brother). Nice as pie and surprisingly accomodating. Shocking, but welcome.
If I walk into a restaurant or a retail shop these days, the employees literally fall all over me with service. Today for example, I thought the waiter was going to offer to do my windows!!!
So refreshing but here’s the sad part – if you need service or help, the big companies are still going to send you offshore to speak to a “Bob” with that godawful time lag -and while I don’t begrudge anyone a job – I really believe we must take care of our own first.
I once spent three and a half insane hours with a “Harry” – yes, it was about the internet.
We are in such a mess now. I think this is the biggest and worst one yet. No, “they” are not telling us the truth – if we knew the truth – we’d be jumping out of more windows. “They” are even covering up that mess. I know that one for sure!!!
I’ll tell you another thing that I know for sure. People do want “face time”. They want community and camaraderie… and a hug. Why do you think so many of these lost souls are sitting home all alone and trying to make some contact in either a chat room or a blog? Why aren’t they sitting around sharing great food and wine and a hug and the sheer joy of conversations with wonderful friends or family.
They are bloody lonely. Do you know just how many people never hav any physical human contact?
They are starved for Face time… and a hug.
Someone I know put an ad in a local paper asking for volunteers for a group to get together just to have “conversation”. Remember that word? He was blown away with the response he got and had to hire a bigger venue just to accomodate the crowd. These people were so grateful for this opportunity to meet others in person.
Why don’t you blog readers put and ad in your local paper and see if you can do the same – before we completely lose the art of conversaton … duh. Y’know!!! Like totally!!!
That’s really a very bad service though it was not on purpose.
I agree that there are ups and down in everything. The down just means that the up is around the corner.
I think I’ve had this actual conversation–more than once.
I remember it when I receive really good service and return to that business. The other frustration that I have been experiencing is that potential or new customers are treated better than existing customers, especially on a phone service call. I hate it when I am in a store and the person behind the counter puts our face to face conversation on hold to answer the telephone. I have walked out a few times when this has happened.
Birney Summerss last blog post..DRIVE SLOW SAVE MONEY
How nice of you to come over and visit, Birney -
You know I am a big fan of yours.
Funny. That is also my pet peeve. You are talking to a salesperson and the phone rings and they answer it.
I was THERE FIRST!
And you know what? I walk too. And if I am in a really bad mood and have the time, I get the manager and complain.
Dear Raymond -
I love your optimistic attitude.
From your mouth to God’s ears!
Dear Sandi -
You said -
“I think I’ve had this actual conversation–more than once.”
Don’t get me started again. I have ones like this more often than not.
I feel sorry for the people on the other end.but it is so irritating. Especially when I see the unemployment figures on CNBC go up and up.