Why? Why do companies not see, or in this case hear things from the customer’s perspective? I had a situation today where I was notified that my mortgage payment had not processed. I called to see if I could figure out why and make sure it was paid. Turns out that the online system that is supposed to save my information was actually dropping numbers so my payment couldn’t clear. In the process of speaking with customer service representatives I was very impressed with their friendliness and helpfulness. They were nice, responsive, and honestly looking to help me. Unfortunately my situation required that I speak to another department. So I was put on hold. This is where the customer experience fell apart. In the process of being placed on hold I had to listen to the…I guess they called it “music”. Below is a sample. Turn the sound up and listen at your own risk. My apologies in advance if you’re in a public place.
Imagine that for about 20 minutes. If you are unable to listen let me try, but probably fail, to fully describe the experience. Imagine the worst sound you can think of, fingernails on a chalkboard, baby crying from pain, microphone feedback, Justin Bieber singing that Barney song. Get the idea? Painful!
I asked if they would give me a credit to my account for having to listen to that. The Customer service reps said they fully understood as they had to listen to it all day as well. I am amazed that these reps deliver such friendly service in spite of the torture they have to endure.
I suggested they have upper management listen to it for a day, then we’ll see how quickly it changes. Here’s the thing, the customer experience is about the details, or as I call it, the Final3Feet. How do you make the customer FEEL throughout the whole experience?
We all gather information through the five senses. What do your customers hear?
Maybe you should call and listen to your own hold music or voicemail. Sit in a waiting area and listen to the sounds of your daily operations. Listen to how team members speak to each other. Hear it from the customer’s perspective!!