WINTER 2014

188 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

188 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK “YOU WILL HAVE TO GO TO OUR WEBSITE” continued from page 30 Another annoying wrinkle to electronic communication with regular customers is the use of user names and passwords to access messages or information. I know this is a well meaning effort to protect privacy, but since each company seems to have its own protocol for passwords it means that each company may require a unique need for upper and lower case letters, alphanumeric combinations or punctuation marks. It means the customer must keep a record of a different password even for messages or websites accessed infrequently. The customer is left unable to easily remembered passwords because of the varying protocols, and thus must frequently launch into the “Forgot Your Password” quagmire. Who has the time The second reason some companies rely on website for customer communication seems to be to protect their staff from having to deal with upset customers. If you have a complaint you are directed to a forum where you can communicate your trouble to a faceless, nameless chatboard which will give you a delayed response or typed message restating their policies and explaining why they cannot give you a remedy. Here the element of emotion is missing. The person replying on behalf of the selling company does not have to look the customer in the eye when they deny a request and that employee is not subject to pressure to bend the rules. This, of course, leaves the customer feeling that he or she has not really had the opportunity to vent about the problem and the customer leaves feeling even more frustrated. Airlines are particularly good at this avoidance of customer complaints. The third problem situation is when the website puts you in a loop and you have nowhere to go to secure an answer. It may have a section of “Frequently Asked Questions” which you can scroll down in hopes that your situation is covered. If not then you may find yourself up against a wall or left only with the option of typing in your question and waiting for a later reply. If you have no option to connect with a real person you are again left feeling frustrated. Technology can eventually lose customers to competitors who know when it is time to provide the help of a real human being in solving a problem. The website method of avoiding customers seems to be an outgrowth of the automated attendants which made their appearance on the business scene quite a number of years earlier. The website method of avoiding customers seems to be an outgrowth of the automated attendants which made their appearance on the business scene quite a number of years earlier. By doing away with the switchboard attendant we have subjected ourselves to endless menu options which may or may not fit our needs. The selection of one might well lead to submenus from which to select. Almost all of these systems caution you to listen to all options before you select and some require you to wait until all options have been stated (even though as a regular caller you may know well what those options are). Some never give you the option of accessing a representative. This might all be worthwhile if, once selections are made, no waiting period ensues. I have to observe, however, that does not seem to be the case with many companies who seem to be perennially understaffed in their customer service departments. Electronic communication, if used properly as an adjunct to human communication, and a means of providing background information or simple, mechanical ordering can enhance the service a company provides. But beware the marketing plan which tries to remove the human element. Customers will soon realize that they are no longer being treated as the unique individuals they are. They may well take their business to the competitor who remembers this!