Customer Service is a Mindset

A commentary over at Fastcompany.com caught my eye. I'm well aware that it's expensive to train a competent, courteous customer service officer when the cheaper alternative is to have customers visit your webste and read your FAQ, or find the answer using an automated telephone answering system - "If you are asking about ABC, press 1. If you are asking about CDE, press 2... "

That works fine for something straightforward like ordering movie tickets online. However, when you have a problem you're trying to resolve, then it's far more likely that your query will be complex and would require human assistance. Even if it's not, the mere fact that you're experiencing difficulties should mean that you would like to hear a sympathetic voice at the other side of the line.

That's why I like the ING Direct advertising that is mentioned in the article:

“To Speak to a Person, press 1 then 800 ING Direct.”

It's also why I try to be nice when a member of public randomly calls me at my desk. There's definitely a reason why the person gave up on the call centre, and I'm just trying to make that person's life infinitesmally better...