| We all have to fall back on call centers | | | | miserably at the hands of these call |
| these days whenever we need some help or | | | | center agents as the agents cannot offer |
| information for our bank accounts, | | | | any solution to their woes and matters |
| mobile services or tour itineraries as | | | | even get more complicated and confusing. |
| we don't have the time to visit the | | | | In most of the cases it seems that the |
| relevant department. But the experience | | | | call center agents have no clue about |
| is seldom satisfactory and many people | | | | the business processes and they just |
| believe that customer service over | | | | give misleading information and false |
| telephone simply does not work in this | | | | assurances without understanding or |
| country. Of course we cannot ignore the | | | | studying the problems or cases. |
| convenience of 24/7 but how far can we | | | | The companies are heavily investing on |
| expect to get our queries resolved by | | | | the call centers but the investment so |
| the call center agents? | | | | far is concentrated on infrastructure |
| My personal experience is that simple | | | | whereas the need clearly lies in the |
| queries like the balance of a savings | | | | area of training and development of |
| account or payment due date of a mobile | | | | staff members. What is required for the |
| telephone bill can be handled by a call | | | | call center staff is a good |
| center. In fact most of the call centers | | | | understanding of the business process |
| had IVR facility and you even need not | | | | and adequate supervision but that is |
| interact with an agent as the machine | | | | unfortunately completely ignored. The |
| will read out the balance or due bill | | | | BPOs have failed to provide process |
| amount. But when it comes to taking a | | | | training to agents so that they can help |
| decision the efficiency level of call | | | | customers and are simply providing some |
| centers drop drastically and most of the | | | | computers, network, CRM software and an |
| time the outcome is very frustrating. | | | | accent training which is definitely not |
| Usually a phone banking customer has | | | | adequate for setting up a customer help |
| access to internet and so to me the IVR | | | | line. |
| is not so much of a value addition as | | | | My experience with India's No. 1 travel |
| one can check the same information in | | | | portal help desk was even more pathetic. |
| the web. So what is really expected of a | | | | I made an internet booking about 6 |
| call center are the queries which an | | | | months back thru their website and when |
| automated system cannot resolve and | | | | after 24 hours I was not mailed the |
| needs human intervention. For example | | | | e-ticket I was desperate to speak to a |
| why my credit card was charged twice or | | | | call center agent. I had to wait for |
| my phone bill is not being mailed to me | | | | more than 3 hours to finally get hold of |
| and in these kinds of cases the call | | | | one agent as either the numbers were |
| centers are not really meeting the | | | | busy or I was put on hold and finally |
| customer expectation. | | | | disconnected. I was almost missing my |
| I have a very bad experience with the | | | | flight and after that I promised myself |
| country's leading mobile services | | | | never again with last minute tickets |
| provider; I used to get my mobile bill | | | | online. |
| to my email and since last few months | | | | There are numerous bad experiences like |
| the bills are not mailed to me when I | | | | this with call centers and I think |
| had to take the initiative and report to | | | | people are learning to avoid them and |
| the call center. I am still struggling | | | | depend more on physical presence to get |
| to get this resolved despite repeated | | | | their queries answered and problem |
| calls and emails, and for the past 3 | | | | solved. It is no doubt a great concept |
| months I am paying them in spite of not | | | | that can make the life of the companies |
| getting the bill just because I cannot | | | | and customers better but unfortunately |
| afford to have my phone disconnected. | | | | the companies have a long way to go |
| Every time I call them I have to tell my | | | | before being able to really help their |
| problem from scratch and they assure me | | | | customers thru help desks. Right now the |
| of sending all my bills and provide me | | | | call centers are nothing but a bunch of |
| with a token number but nothing has | | | | unsupervised fresh college pass outs who |
| happened yet. | | | | have no idea of what they are doing and |
| Nothing can be more frustrating than | | | | in some way struggling to answer |
| this and I have discovered after | | | | customer queries using their imagination |
| searching some product review sites that | | | | and some limited information in the |
| I am probably not alone. There are | | | | computer databases. |
| hundreds of customers suffering | | | | |