Yesterday, I tried to get a simple question answered about a charge on my credit card. I called the company issuing the charge with a straightforward request but one that didn't fit neatly into the categories provided on the charging company's voicemail system.
I am typically pretty willing to navigate through a voicemail system to find an answer to my inquiry. I even find some of the more carefully constructed auto-response systems a pleasure to use as I can get an answer to my question quickly and with machine-like efficiency.
But this system was one of those circular machine hells that kept sending me back to the same place over and over and over and over again. I tried calling back during normal business hours in the hope that I might be directed to a customer service agent. No such luck. I tried the website (as repeatedly suggested) but couldn't access the information I needed because I needed to have information that I could only get from the website in order to get into the website. Or at least that is how I felt.
Ultimately, what started as a simple request for information about a charge from the issuing company ended up with me reversing the charges with my credit card company. It also ended with me vowing to think twice or three times before doing business with that company again.
I understand that automated systems can save a company time and money. I also understand that a poorly designed automated system can a company from having to deal with pesky customer problems and complaints. But probably not in the way they intended.
The Many P's of Marketing: Pause
Pause: I have had fun with the Many P's of Marketing and have more P-words to explore the breadth and depth of the world of marketing. Nevertheless, I think it is a good time to pause this series and write about other things in this blog. I will come back to it. I will bring in more guest bloggers. But for now, I have things to say that don't start with P!
No comments:
Post a Comment