JBonninthinks: It is fondamental to be able to reach a real person. What happens more often though is that we are handled from operator to operator who know nothing and just tell us that our claims are being sorted!
FrankNfurterthinks: A real person has the ability to react to a situation instantly and so can overcome any potential mishaps that do occur. Keeping me reassured and calm is something a machine can't do.
donnamthinks: I don't tend to like having to talk to a customer service person on the phone. Too often they are not helpful and in some cases, downright rude and unpleasant. I would much prefer to book an appointment online if I can, or do banking transactions online when I can. To me, speaking to a representative is usually the option of last resort, when I can simply and easily log on to a website, do what I need to do and not have to be irritated in the process.
itssimplethinks: I think self help options, if done correctly, can be truly more helpful than speaking to a person. The odds are that if you have an issue, someone else has also probably already had the same issue. In these cases, an FAQ should be sufficient and would also save a company money on a call center.
idesignthinks: It would be nice if a machine could interpret your problem and spit out a good solution or at least other options that will help you find answers. The truth is people are much better at interpreting other peoples needs, or i should say communicating a more efficient way, than any machine could.
markkev74thinks: I like self-service options, however, it is my understanding that companies save large amounts of money by having customers service themselves - very few of them share those savings with their customers
sspthinks: I hate automated call menus and call centres where the people on $5 per hour on the other end have no interest in anything apart from going home. If I sat in a grey cube all day I would do the same too. However, this is absolutely not the way to deal with customers.
I personally do not buy any large ticket item until I phone the customer support number for that product. I look for two things:
1) How long does it take before I talk to a human being? If it's a long time they will never get a purchase from me.
2) Is the customer support number toll-free? If a company wants me to stay on hold then they better be willing to pay for my time. That's when you know whether the price being charged for the product is worth it.
