Posted by: Ian Mapp | 11.03.2010
One of our ‘truths’ is that customers and staff that interact directly with customers already know a lot about issues and problems … and often how to solve them. Listening to their stories is often inspiring. The following was inspired by a customer advisor on a recent client engagement.
View from the front
| We the unheeded, doing the unneeded. |
| Showing the unknowing. |
| Too much pressing, too many stressing. |
| The unneeded our undoing. |
| |
| Talk more, rest less. |
| |
| Always collecting, something new to show, |
| never reflecting, learning from what we know. |
| The knowing unheeded, bright new world unweeded. |
| Doing the unneeded, defection speeded. |
| |
| They talk, I squeeze. |
| They talk, I breeze. |
| I talk, they freeze. |
| I talk – on their knees! |
| |
| I hear them, they are my feed. |
| I hear them, know what they need. |
| |
| Now is the time to hear me speak. |
| Now is the time to heed the call. |
| Now is the time to follow my lead. |
| I’m undoing the unneeding, starting now. |
Voice of the Customer, agent experience, culture, customer experience, feedback, listening, process improvement, reduction in contacts | No Comments
Posted by: Ian Morton | 30.10.2007
Having recently joined Budd I wanted to transfer my mobile account from my previous business account, held by Vodafone, into Budd’s business telephone account, also held by Vodafone. Thinking this would be a one call fix, as I was not taking anything away from Vodafone, just changing billing details, I called expecting it to be a simple action. How wrong can you be!
A very polite lady advised me that they would have to send me the PAC number, I asked could it be given over the phone, no, I was told, I had to request the PAC number in writing, an email would do, but it could not be given immediately. She went on to tell me that once Vodafone received my email they could then send me a letter with the PAC number. Could I not receive this information by email I asked?, apologies, but no, this was not the process.
On receiving the letter I was advised, I would then have to send the detail to our internal admin team, who could then call Vodafone, who would then transfer the account billing details. Why, I asked cannot you do this now. Explanation given was that they were on different databases and could not transfer my details but had to go through an internal administrative process to enable another section within Vodafone to handle.
So from a simple request to transfer billing details internally within Vodafone we will generate at least 2 calls and 1 email to Vodafone, 2 internal calls to/from my admin dept, I have received 3 emails so far telling me the PAC number was coming, I have also received a letter from Vodafone with the PAC number and, I think, but I am losing track, there is another letter going to Budd’s admin dept to tell them what to do with it.
By my count that’s around 10 interactions for a piece of internal administration. Why?Surely with the number of people moving between business accounts this process should have been refined by now. Even if the databases do not talk the customer should not see the problem. I understand the need for security, but nothing was said they had to do it this way due to security issues.
So, I’m left a frustrated customer, dreading the day when something really goes wrong. On a high note however, everyone you talk to in Vodafone business team is always friendly and seems to be doing their best. So well done Vodafone business team, just please look at this process and consider how many other processes are frustrating to your customers. Might be time to actually listen to what the customer is saying?
Customer satisfaction, Voice of the Customer, process improvement, reduction in contacts | No Comments
