What Happened to Customer Service?

In the 1950s if you had a question or concern with your bank, your insurance company, or any number of other businesses of which you were a customer, you could simply drive down the street and speak to them in person or you could call them and reach someone at the local office. Nowadays, the first place you turn is probably their online FAQ. It’s only logical to assume that with the cost-efficiency of web pages and the ease of finding answers in online FAQs, that businesses would be saving money in customer service related expenses compared with pre-internet times. Thus, one might further assume that thanks to the Internet and outsourced call centers, businesses should be able to employ enough people to answer your questions and let you speak to a real person the moment you call.



Unfortunately, this is not the case. In fact, the case is quite opposite. The Internet has created a great divide between people and companies. The people become nothing more than hits and the lack of face-to-face interaction makes companies treat them as such.



Instead of becoming something to allow for greater customer service, the Internet has become something of an excuse not to have customer service. "It is somewhere buried in our pile of FAQ comments so we needn’t speak to our customers on the phone." They think. As a result many web-based companies go to great lengths to hide their phone number. And odds are if you find it, they have a phone menu that makes speaking to an actual person equally hard to do. One of the best examples is a popular internet-based phone company that’s primary use is for making international calls… They don’t have a phone number! A phone company without a phone number!



It seems that advertising and development budgets have replaced that allocated to customer service. Today the best and worst customer service is hard to differentiate between these days as so much is bad. I appeal to a company to provide something good. It amazes me is that more companies have not yet taken advantage of this void and marketed themselves on the fact that when you call, you can actually speak to a real person. If a bank or phone company advertised this, I would certainly use them! Many people would! The thing that I don’t understand is why companies have not done this yet. It not because they can’t afford it; the Internet is helping reduce call volume... I appeal to companies to remember your customers are in fact that, customers. Stop hiding behind the website and give the customers the service they deserve.