Are You Making it Hard For Your Customers?
May 9th, 2008If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. You can also sign up for my extremely popular FREE newsletter by clicking HERE. Thanks for visiting!
I’m currently in the process of trying to signup for a mobile broadband contract so that my laptop can connect to the net while on the move.
This summer I’d like to do a bit of travelling around, and in an ideal world I’d be able to quickly check my emails for 5 mins each morning before enjoying the rest of my day.
About 10 minutes ago I rang BT to ask a couple of really quick questions about one of their price plans. The phone rang and rang and rang, before eventually I had to go through an automated menu system.
FINALLY I was able to speak to a real person and I explained I needed information on their mobile broadband service. Before I even finished I was placed on hold, with no explanation, probably while she went away to get someone who knew the answer to my question.
About 1 minute later and she returned wanting to know my name. She didn’t explain why she needed this, so I asked. Her reply was that this was needed for her records.
I just wanted to ask a quick 10 second question!
I relented and gave my number only for her to tell me that it wasn’t coming up on her system, whatever that means. To fix this she now needed my postcode, and residential address. Arrrgghhh!
All I wanted to do was ask a QUICK question before placing an order.
What kind of crazy business practice is it where they make you jump through so many hoops just to ask a question? In the end I could take no more and politely told the lady that my brain was about to explode before gently hanging up the phone.
Do you make your customers jump through hoops? How easy is it to order from you? How easy is it to ask a question and get a reply?
If you’re not going out of your way to make the sales process as smooth as possible then there’s a good chance this is costing you sales. After all, if someone wants to give you their money you really should make it as easy as possible for them to do so!
Anyway, I’m off to see if it’s possible to get through to a human who can answer my quick question at Vodaphone...
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By Ross Kenny on May 9, 2008 | Reply
It is a nightmare isn’t it trying to get through to the likes of BT.
Have you looked at all the Mobile Broadband Dongles. You can get upto 7mb on some of them.
Here’s a link http://www.top10-broadband.co.uk/types/mobile-broadband/
Thanks
Ross
By Mark McWilliams on May 9, 2008 | Reply
LOL Lee, but very valid points!
I have a friend who phoned BT and wanted to get theselves a cheap broadband package. (Afterall, their next-door neighbour has the same package!)
He’s put through from department to department and they all tell him that he can’t get it!
So he tells them his neighbour has it until he gets to the sales department.
The women on the other end CAN’T process his details because the BT system wasn’t allowing it! (WTF?) - So because his address was coming up that he couldn’t eceive it, the system wouldn’t allow him to make a purchase. (Talk about making things hard!)
Good luck with Vodaphone Lee, you might need it!
Thanks
Mark
By John Tan on May 10, 2008 | Reply
Hi Lee,
I experienced that before. It is really frustrating to go through this kind of treatment.
I wonder do they do testing to see this will improve their sales or loses their sales. Lol
John Tan
By Andrew Stark on May 11, 2008 | Reply
The only good thing about BT is that the actual broadband works very well. I used to have ntl and it was forever requiring to be rebooted.
Sadly most of the people who answer the phones are in India, and they have to follow the procedure given to them, hence asking for your details before being able to answer a simple question.
Hopefully as more people start to complain the big companies will start to bring customer service back to the UK and allow the staff to actually use their own brain rather than “Computer Say’s No!”
Andrew
By Richard on May 12, 2008 | Reply
Hi Lee
I’m sure that we’ve all had similar experiences to yours - I certainly have. But what your experience really demonstrates is that small companies that react quickly and smartly to potential customers can easily beat the ‘big boys’.
Organisations such as BT are so big that no individual initiative is allowed whatsoever. Everything must be done by the ‘Rule Book’. And if the rules say that they must take your name, address, post code, inside leg measurement….. before they can give you any information, then that is what will be done. The person answering the phone may want to help you but their job is on the line if they don’t follow the laid down procedures.
Always remember that ‘Small is Beautiful’ and that if you give your customers and (more importantly) your potential customers a pleasant customer service experience, then you’ll get their loyalty and future business.
This is something to remember when running your Internet business - reply to emails promptly, deliver products quickly, handle any complaints fairly. These are the keys to success.
Oh, and by the way, I use the 3 broadband dongle ‘thingy’ and it’s very good!
Richard