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Dear Dave
I’m the only one here.
It’s late.
There’s no easy way to do this,
so I’ll just start:
I took this job with really high hopes.
My friends said, “Really? A call centre?”
But I thought,
why not?
I’m a people person.
I like helping.
Turning angry customers into happy customers.
But that’s not how it’s worked out.
I’m not really helping people at all.
Our customers are not just angry or confused or disappointed.
They’re furious.
They need help.
But, most calls on most days, I’m not helping them at all.
I’m just fobbing them off.
Or making lame excuses.
The worst part?
I could really be helping!
If I had the power to help.
If I had access to some decent information
instead of our lousy FAQs
Or if I had the authority to go out of my way to help people.
Instead of a 50-page rule book.
And a highly strung supervisor (sorry Julie but really… 7-minute coffee breaks? Really?)
I’d still love my job despite all this.
If I was measured by how much I really helped our customers.
Instead of how many calls I ‘processed’ every hour. (Would you want to be processed.)
Or if I had access to the experts in the company–
Right away.
Instead of emailing them and waiting two weeks. (It’s called ‘collaboration’. Google it.)
But no.
That might ruin our numbers.
Which is...
Depressing.
:(
Oh and the other thing. (I know I’m venting here.)
When people call, wouldn’t it be great if we... KNEW WHO THEY WERE AND WHAT THEY’VE BOUGHT AND STUFF LIKE THAT?
I treat everyone like a stranger even if they’ve been customers for TEN YEARS.
How would that make you feel?
So here’s the thing, Dave.
There’s no nice way to say this.
I quit.
I’m going to work for a company that gets customer service.
That gives call centre people like me a teeny-tiny bit of power.
Sorry.
I just think, if we gave people like me a bit of leeway and the right tools and information and systems… we could do AMAZ...
And actually delight customers.
And turn them into fans.
I really believe that.
Before I go, three things I BEG you to do.
1) Give my Calathea plant to Bethany NOT Barry who would kill it in three days.)
2) Think about customers not just costs. Radical, I know.
3) Read this post: The Empowered Customer Service Agent
I really, really, really think it could make a difference to this place.
:) Bye-bye
This fable was brought to you by Salesforce Click here for the ‘Empowered Customer Service Agent’ post.
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Jun. 20, 2014

Out of Service

It is common place to find frustrated customer service agents. More than willing and wanting to help customers, but not having the information, tools or empowerment to do so. This is a serious problem.

Flick through this story of one such frustrated agent and see what the consequences are.

With a modern CRM platform in place, all of this could be avoided. Download our free Multi-channel Customer Service eBook to set you on your way: https://www.salesforce.com/uk/socialsuccess/form/multi-channel-customer-service-ebook.jsp)

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Out of Service

  1. 1. Dear Dave
  2. 2. I’m the only one here.
  3. 3. It’s late.
  4. 4. There’s no easy way to do this,
  5. 5. so I’ll just start:
  6. 6. I took this job with really high hopes.
  7. 7. My friends said, “Really? A call centre?”
  8. 8. But I thought,
  9. 9. why not?
  10. 10. I’m a people person.
  11. 11. I like helping.
  12. 12. Turning angry customers into happy customers.
  13. 13. But that’s not how it’s worked out.
  14. 14. I’m not really helping people at all.
  15. 15. Our customers are not just angry or confused or disappointed.
  16. 16. They’re furious.
  17. 17. They need help.
  18. 18. But, most calls on most days, I’m not helping them at all.
  19. 19. I’m just fobbing them off.
  20. 20. Or making lame excuses.
  21. 21. The worst part?
  22. 22. I could really be helping!
  23. 23. If I had the power to help.
  24. 24. If I had access to some decent information
  25. 25. instead of our lousy FAQs
  26. 26. Or if I had the authority to go out of my way to help people.
  27. 27. Instead of a 50-page rule book.
  28. 28. And a highly strung supervisor (sorry Julie but really… 7-minute coffee breaks? Really?)
  29. 29. I’d still love my job despite all this.
  30. 30. If I was measured by how much I really helped our customers.
  31. 31. Instead of how many calls I ‘processed’ every hour. (Would you want to be processed.)
  32. 32. Or if I had access to the experts in the company–
  33. 33. Right away.
  34. 34. Instead of emailing them and waiting two weeks. (It’s called ‘collaboration’. Google it.)
  35. 35. But no.
  36. 36. That might ruin our numbers.
  37. 37. Which is...
  38. 38. Depressing.
  39. 39. :(
  40. 40. Oh and the other thing. (I know I’m venting here.)
  41. 41. When people call, wouldn’t it be great if we... KNEW WHO THEY WERE AND WHAT THEY’VE BOUGHT AND STUFF LIKE THAT?
  42. 42. I treat everyone like a stranger even if they’ve been customers for TEN YEARS.
  43. 43. How would that make you feel?
  44. 44. So here’s the thing, Dave.
  45. 45. There’s no nice way to say this.
  46. 46. I quit.
  47. 47. I’m going to work for a company that gets customer service.
  48. 48. That gives call centre people like me a teeny-tiny bit of power.
  49. 49. Sorry.
  50. 50. I just think, if we gave people like me a bit of leeway and the right tools and information and systems… we could do AMAZING things.
  51. 51. And actually delight customers.
  52. 52. And turn them into fans.
  53. 53. I really believe that.
  54. 54. Before I go, three things I BEG you to do.
  55. 55. 1) Give my Calathea plant to Bethany NOT Barry who would kill it in three days.)
  56. 56. 2) Think about customers not just costs. Radical, I know.
  57. 57. 3) Read this post: The Empowered Customer Service Agent
  58. 58. I really, really, really think it could make a difference to this place.
  59. 59. :) Bye-bye
  60. 60. This fable was brought to you by Salesforce Click here for the ‘Empowered Customer Service Agent’ post.

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