3 Ways to Avoid Having a Helpless Help Center
Jul 6th, 2010 by David Svet
Germany played Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinals this last weekend. For the non-soccer fans reading this, that match is a really big deal. I was happily settled in front of the tube enjoying the match with my son when in the 3rd minute of the second half our world stopped — the cable went out. I know what you are thinking, big whoop, that happens all the time. You’re right, it does and I usually walk away and do something productive. But this time it was the World Cup and I felt I needed to let the cable company know what had happened. So, I called them.
What I encountered is important for your business. My cable provider has a help center that is a shining example of failure. I know, I can see your comments coming in now — ROTFLMAO, it’s THE CABLE COMPANY, DUDE! Please indulge me, you may learn something.
My call probably went like most every call that they get from an irate customer. First I get the happy, robotic voice recognition system. It begins by telling me there is no problem in my area. Then it fails. I speak with one word answers in clear English and it has a prerecorded track to mockingly laugh off my response as incompetent before putting me on near terminal hold. Who in the world approved the voice work on this recording? A lame attempt at being friendly is actually incredibly insulting. I was mad when I called. How is this supposed to help? Now they have shown that they cannot handle two technologies and imply that it is my fault.
So as I sit helplessly on hold in front of my blank TV screen, I am treated to an endless barrage of ads for additional services and upgrades that they want me to buy. Again, who approved this? The auto attendant already filtered me to the help center because I have a problem that cannot be resolved without a person. They obviously know they’ve failed, twice. They should know that I’m less than happy. How does that translate into an opportunity for up-sell/cross-sell? When I finally get to talk to a person, she confirms that there IS in fact a problem in my area but only after I correctly provide her with ALL of the personal information connected to my account. I ask when the problem will be remedied and she replies that she hopes it will be soon. Then she asks if there is anything else that she can help me with. I politely ask her if she is aware that the World Cup quarterfinals are on and she replies with silence. Then she asks me to recommend the cable company to all of my friends and relatives before she ends the call.
The only thing that she was really empowered or motivated to do was sell me additional services, not provide help. As a result, I hate the company more than I did before I called them and am sharing my feelings with a heck of a lot of people on the Internet. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Here are some things you can do to suck less than my cable provider:
1. Understand that technology alone is not a solution.
If you don’t have human systems in place that work, you will fail if you throw technology at the issue. Technology provides efficiency to human systems when they can be very clearly defined and documented. Nuance is a massive problem for technology. In my cable provider’s case, they should dump their auto attendant as it causes more harm than good. Look at how you handle customer complaints and your failings. If you don’t have an effective human system in place, layering technology on the process won’t help. If you do have a great system in place, make sure the technology works flawlessly. Anything less is harmful in a situation like this.
2. Effective marketing and sales requires respect, understanding and timing.
Every great salesperson knows when to talk and when to listen. They also know that most of the time they should be listening. It’s the only way to respond effectively. They also know that good marketing not only supports the sales process, it sets the stage for the sale. Sales and marketing both require an intimate understanding of your customers’ needs, attitudes and frame of mind. Without it you run the risk of offending them with inappropriate behavior. Opportunity is a two-sided equation — both sides need to balance.
3. Negative customers are won over by joining their cause.
This is the hardest customer service point for most people to understand. When a customer goes negative you need to acknowledge their feelings and join their cause. Not only do you need to join their cause, you should lead their cause because you are leading them to a solution. Own their aggravation and offense because you care about them. Hurt worse than they hurt because it is, by default, your fault. Only when you hurt worse than they hurt will they realize that they don’t hurt so badly. It is human nature to help someone in pain. If you can genuinely, honestly own their pain as your own in addition to the pain it causes you knowing that you have let them down, they will see that you are truly hurt by their predicament and care about them. They will let go of their pain and the two of you can begin to find a good solution together. This isn’t manipulative if you sincerely care for your customers’ well being and want them to be happy. Be forewarned, if you play with this emotion to disarm angry customers in a manipulative manner, you will get burned and deserve the outcome. But sincere empathy and an honest effort to help will be rewarded.
I doubt that my cable company will ever understand any of this, or care. They have a monopoly on my neighborhood and seem to think that wringing profits out of their customers is more important than lifetime value. However, their monopoly is temporary and the damage that they are inflicting is long lasting. This is just another log on their funeral pyre.
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License
