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If you're a fan of Paula Cole -- or even just the turn-of-the-millenium-era teen classic Dawson's Creek...
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21-Day CX Challenge #16:
I Don't Wanna Wait...


Hey there!

We're back with another challenge focusing on using technology for our customers' good.



"I Don't Wanna Wait..." And Neither Do Your Customers

If you're a fan of Paula Cole -- or even just the turn-of-the-millenium-era teen classic Dawson's Creek -- then just reading today's subject line may have planted her hit 1997 song in your brain.

Let's allow Paula to set the mood for us as we dive into today's mission:


Now let's set the scene:

You're having trouble with a piece of software you recently bought. You check out their website and, while they don't offer a phone number for support, they do present you with plenty of online options.

And so you fill out their support form and wait.

And wait.

And wait.

Eventually, you get tired of waiting. So you send them a message on Twitter, and wait.

And wait.

And wait.

You go to their site again and notice -- oh hey! -- there's a "live chat" icon you hadn't noticed before!

And so you click it, retype your request...

And get a message: "Online chat is currently unavailable. Support usually responds within 6 hours."

What began as a minor hiccup has now turned into a massive, frustrating, time-sink.

As for the company providing this terrible lack of customer service, well... they might not even be aware that there's a problem.

It's a classic case of "what you don't know can hurt you."


Today's Mission:

Today, we're going to check to see if any such problems exist in your organization.

First: Consider the support channels you make available. Phone? Email? Social media? Walk-in?

List them all out.

Second: Review -- Are all of these channels made obvious to your customer? Check your website. Is there a clearly defined "Get Help" or "Support" page with these steps?

Third: Assess -- For each support channel, how quickly are these requests handled? This is the step that's most overlooked. Businesses will offer a million ways to get in touch, thinking that offering choices means providing great support.

But if they can't support all of those channels, they're setting themselves -- and their customers -- up for failure.

Review your help desk software's average response times, or how long replies tend to take on Twitter. As you do, ask: Are we effectively managing these support channels?

If not, it might be time to try one or more of these:
  • Limiting the number of support channels offered
  • Working with support teams to simplify their support processes
  • Implementing automation steps (while also making sure any automation is still personal!)

And if so, then this is an opportunity to go all the way back to Challenge #8 and thank your support team for their work.

Even a support team needs support sometimes, after all.

Digging Deeper:
-- Jeannie

PS - If you have a small team and still can't offer fast customer support even after simplifying, that's okay! The trick is to work on expectation setting. As long as your customer's expectations are in line with what you can deliver, you're honoring your relationship with the customer.
Experience Investigators offers Consulting & Workshops, Courses, and Keynotes designed to Create Fewer Ruined Days for Customers.
Experience Investigators by 360Connext, 805 Lake Street , Suite 130, Oak Park, IL 60301, United States


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