Well, apparently I was not the only person who took great joy in discovering the web site that lists the phone numbers and "tricks" required to bypass the automated attendant in many prominent business' call centers.
On the front page of yesterday's Boston Globe, writer Bruce Mohl wrote an article discussing Paul English, the man who put this listing together, his motivation for doing so, and the reasons that businesses use automated attendants in the first place.
It is an interesting article, and even-handed. It discusses the automated attendant as a cost-effective way of serving customers, along with the trend toward more "help-yourself" tools provided by businesses web sites and telephone systems. Many of these tools do streamline processes, and save businesses money, which theoretically means that they don't necessarily have to raise prices so much (stop calling me naive!).
On the other hand, as a customer service advocate, I believe that these wonderful tools should be an option, not the corral where customers are herded. Many customers prefer the human touch, and should have that option when they contact a business. If that means a little added expense for the business, so be it. There is a cost to doing business, especially doing business well.
I touched on this concept not too long ago, in an article called The Golden Rule of Customer Service. Let us know how you feel about this fundemental service issue.
--- Chuck Dennis
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