Take Ownership, for Goodness’ Sake

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Have you ever been frustrated, really frustrated, with customer service? What about trying to get things done at work? There are many unhelpful people out there, but more often than not the problem starts with culture.

Let me illustrate this through a recent experience. I had to manage, with some urgency, my accounts held at various global businesses. The problems I found are commonplace, yet still beggar belief.

Banging one’s head against a brick wall

IVR (interactive voice response) systems with no relevant options (‘Press 1 to forget anything urgent and instead buy our latest money-spinner’). Waiting on hold for, literally, hours, only to hear ‘Thank you for calling; goodbye!’

We explain what happened, what we need: no one listens. Our issue (i.e., why we are ringing) has little bearing on the process: the agent sees three buttons and must press one. None of these helps us reach an outcome.

An agent calls to confirm a written request, then gives blurry answers to a question about the available options. After fifteen minutes, it’s clear the person does not know. ‘Yes, sir, you’re right: that’s another department.’

‘I will ring you back, tomorrow, when I’ve checked with colleagues.’ The call never comes. Feeling helpless, we run out of energy to try again because we cannot bear to spend more time only to get nowhere.

Weeks later, days on hold, our concerns have yet to be resolved and the process has caused new frustrations. You no doubt can relate.

If we had just one wish

With service, the main thing a customer needs is for someone to say, ‘I understand; I will sort this out for you.’ But rarely is anyone willing to take ownership. That’s more than the job’s worth.

Failure of culture

Whilst it is easy (and may be justified) to become frustrated with a given customer service person, individual attitudes and performance reflect a wider cultural failing.

Processes are ill-conceived, designed for nothing but the most common issues. Companies invest little time or money in flexible systems that allow agents to respond to complex situations.

Technology platforms do not talk to each other: ‘Here’s a bill for the product you cancelled months ago.’ Systems have been bolted together, without knowledge or consideration of customer experiences.

Globalisation (mostly) means that the work has become so fragmented that few people have a bird’s-eye view or visibility of the customer outcome. Individuals work on their ‘bit’, yet cannot account for what happens in the end.

Crucially, agents are not paid to hear what the customer needs, but to process a name that appears on a screen then, quickly, move to the next call. Many no doubt would be penalised for taking time to listen.

Separated by the internet as agent and customer are, there is no room for softer questions of urgency or stress, or for how the company’s actions might have a wider knock-on effect.

‘I’m sorry your husband died, madam, but as stated in the terms and conditions to which Mr Nomore agreed, our contract runs for 24 months.’