+1.818.678.2601Is customer service dead? I periodically ponder this very notion, and lately, I’ve found myself questioning the processes and procedures of major, multi-billion dollar companies because of their customer service…or lack thereof. During the holiday season, I found myself on the phone with an airline company (can you already see where this is going?) to book air travel for myself and my wife, as well as for company staff – two separate trips.
Let’s break this down. My wife and I were trying to book a trip to New York via Kansas City, and I was attempting to book travel for my staff members from Denver to Los Angeles using six travel vouchers. I can’t remember verbatim what the customer service agent said, however, I believe she thought I was speaking in a foreign tongue when I tried to explain both travel arrangements. “You want to go where? With a connecting flight where? How many people? What sort of travel vouchers? Please hold sir.”
Before you say, “we’ve all been there before,” I should’ve prefaced this by saying that prior to my conversation with the agent, I spent 40 minutes trying to navigate my way through their automated system. There was no pressing ‘0’ to get connected to a real person. I had to spend the time, shoulder-to-shoulder with the other queued cattle being herded through the trenches of the person-less, lifeless system. Shouldn’t automated systems be “overly” easy? Shouldn’t they understand that without actually talking to a person, people need a short, simplified, easy approach? My blood boils when I think about the convoluted system and lackluster customer service performance. When did we lose the human touch?
I honestly didn’t mean for this to simply be a rant about the incompetent airline I dealt with (ok, maybe a little), but I want to stand clear on my opinion that customer service, at any level, is the most important ingredient to a successful, prosperous, and thriving business. Without it, there is no need for the actual company and subsequent products. If you don’t satisfy those who buy your products and services, there is no guarantee sales will be had.
At SphereWMS, we pride ourselves in showing our customers they’re our #1 priority. I mean that in all its sincerity. We understand the diverse needs of our customers, and potential customers, and that no person or company is the same. We tailor each experience so that people understand not only what we offer as a company, but also who we are as individuals and what we stand for as a unified group. The qualities that we exhibit at SphereWMS include: empathy, compassion, and consideration; if we can’t show that the avenue through which you find our product is our unparalleled customer service experience, than we’re not doing our jobs. We simply want our customers to understand they’re the reason we get up every morning and come to work.
We will never employ an automated system where people get lost in translation, as I don’t ever want people to experience the unpleasantry that I did over the holiday season. It’s all about differentiation and showing people that we’re not your run-of-the-mill business trying to push our products; we’re in business because we make it easy for people to run efficient and effective operations. Our goals are your goals.
