Marketing Mishaps: The Pains of Customer 'Support'
Posted by Darius Eslami on Wed, Aug 25, 2010
As a fairly recent college graduate, I have several things looming in my mind: paying off loans, rent, insurance costs. And as if that wasn't enough, every few weeks it becomes inevitable that I need to call customer support to check in on an account or discuss a payment that did not go through.
I have to sit on the phone and listen to numerous (irrelevant) options when all I really want to do is speak with a person. After ten minutes of number punching and bad 'hold' music, I may be lucky enough to reach a person - but I normally am in a pretty impatient state at that point.
There is a lesson in this: Don't let your customers wait! Whenever possible, allow for quick contact with a real individual who can understand a client's needs.
Normally, if a customer is calling, it is because they have a problem (big or small) and need help fixing it. The worst thing to do is add stress. Making your customers feel at ease, listened to, and actually supported is a huge step in your marketing efforts. Have you ever had a bad customer service/support experience? What about a great one?