Customer Service Information |
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Hook Me Up With A Human
Oh, what has happened to the carbon-based organizational interface? Many organizations have digitized humans - aka carbon-based units - out of existence in their customer service operations. Now, I love digital technology as much as anyone, but it is time to bring the people back into their appropriate customer service roles, don't you think? Have you ever tried to reach a human at Amazon.com? When I last checked you couldn't even find a telephone number on the website. Just to annoy them, here is their toll free number: 800-201-7575. Many organizations don't even have a live person answering phones. They dump you directly into voicemail. If this happens to you, punch "0" immediately. Some systems are programmed to ignore the first three "0s" so keep punching. This almost always gets you to a sentient being. OK, sentient may be a little strong. At least they are breathing. Sometimes if you hit the * key, you'll be sent to the company directory. The Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Business reports that in a recent survey of 1,000 people about customer service "can't find a human" was at the top of the list of things participants disliked. The study further showed that calling a toll free number was still the preferred method of reaching a company, but more people are turning to the web because no one appears to be home at the phone. The society has published an online directory containing a lot of contact information for many top companies. Here is the link: http://www.consumeraction.gov/corpormain.shtml. Use it frequently. Here are a few other tips for hunting down a human. Try using the Whois directory at http://www.networksolutions.com/en_US/whois/index.jhtml. However, truly cunning companies have removed their contact information from there, too. Companies which continue to shirk their responsibility to their customers eventually will pay. Customer retention rates will spiral downward and new business will dry up. At least, I keep telling myself this will happen to these bad PR poster children. If you call me, unless I'm on fire or talking with a client, I'll answer my phone. And, if I somehow miss your call, it won't take me 24 hours to get back to you. It's bad PR - and inhuman - to do anything less. Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR, http://www.hoover-ink.com. He has 26 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Brent Dees Financial Planning, Levolor, New World Mortgage, North Carolina Tourism, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems, VELUX and Verbatim.
MORE RESOURCES: No, GPT-4o isn't going to kill teaching or customer service Business Insider NTTA customer service, Tarrant County district clerk spar over mistaken charge The Dallas Morning News How did customer service get so bad? Financial Times Senate passes bill improving air safety and service for travelers, a day before FAA law expires The Associated Press Verizon sharpens GenAI tools to improve customer experience Mobile World Live Cognigy Named a Leader in 2024 “Conversational AI For Customer Service” Report The Bakersfield Californian What Consumers are Saying About AI and Customer Service Customer Think For 13th Consecutive Year, Wolters Kluwer Customer Service Wins NorthFace ScoreBoard Awards Business Wire CommBox Launches Connect Partner Programme, Offering Market-Leading Automation and AI Capabilities to ... Business Wire Frequently asked questions and customer service CSPI Newsroom Top Banks Offering 24/7 Customer Service in 2024 Business Insider Customer Service & Support Hillsborough County (.gov) Senate Passes FAA Bill on Air Safety and Customer Service – The Presidential Prayer Team The Presidential Prayer Team Playvox Brings New Integrated Workforce Management Solutions to Freshworks Customer Service Applications PR Newswire Customer Service Rep Confronts Customer Committing Fraud With The Consequences Of Her Actions. – 'It's okay to do ... Twisted Sifter How to contact Amazon UK Customer Service About Amazon.co.uk Citizen First Customer Service City of Lynchburg Lee Michaels’ Scott Berg: How to make unhappy customers happy Greater Baton Rouge Business Report Welcome to Riverside Public Utilities City of Riverside (.gov) Verizon Down? Users Report Service Outage, Call Dropping | Ways To Troubleshoot And Customer Support Times Now Customer Assistance Programs DC Water Textron Aviation Unveils Expanded Global Parts Distribution Facility, Elevating Customer Service Yahoo Finance Genesys & ServiceNow join forces to revolutionise customer service ChannelLife Australia Senate passes bill improving air safety and service for travelers, a day before FAA law expires Chicago Tribune Contact SEA Customer Care portseattle.org Britons Spend 800 Years Waiting to Speak to HMRC Business MattersBusiness Matters Buccaneers Continue to Excel in Season Pass Member Customer Service Experience, Voted No. 1 for Sixth ... Buccaneers.com At some point, construction gave up on customer service – but it's far from a lost cause New Civil Engineer Air India rolls out iPad app for on board customer service Live From A Lounge AI is replacing customer service jobs across the globe The Washington Post Customer Service Center - Recreation & Wellbeing University of California, Berkeley Delayed On Southwest? You Can Now Skip The Customer Service Line And Request A $75 Credit Online Forbes Social media customer service statistics to know in 2024 Sprout Social What Your Business Can Learn From Southwest Airlines Business.com Elefante Music and School for the Performing Arts Seeking Customer Service Representative - School Services TAPinto.net Ministry of Immigration aims to improve customer service following altercation at Western Border Breaking Belize News Best Customer Service 2024 Forbes CFPB Issues Guidance to Halt Large Banks from Charging Illegal Junk Fees for Basic Customer Service Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Klarna says its AI assistant does the work of 700 people after it laid off 700 people - Fast Company Utility Billing The City of Vancouver, WA New report lays bare HMRC customer service failings Politics.co.uk |
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