Recently, I came across a letter of complaint to the head of a huge international furniture organization from a dad buying his daughter a bed. He had ordered over the internet, followed instructions and the wrong parts had been delivered. When he called the ‘helpline’, a recording told him there would be a two-hour wait and he should try the ‘live chat’ on their website to solve his problem. On the website he got an automated voice that informed him it would be faster if he called the ‘helpline’. This went on for many months and now, six months later, he still doesn’t have his daughter’s bed and he is caught in customer care hell.
So many organizations spend millions on advertising, only to lose customers in the execution of the sale. Is a two-hour wait time on hold reasonable? How about inviting people to a ‘live chat’ that is actually automated and difficult to navigate? It’s obvious that people want to connect with a live person who can quickly and directly solve their problems.
Unfortunately, the man’s letter ended the way many complaints do: With a frustrated: I will never do business with your company again!
If it isn’t easy for people to deal with your company, they won’t. They’ll find another place to do business and post their dissatisfaction over the internet for thousands to read. Bad customer service catches up with everyone eventually.
