Voice Mail Hell

As anyone wfto has ever spent 15 minutes in Interactive Voice Mall Sheir knows, customer rage is a foci ul Iwenty-first-century lite. 'iVtrle v^e ha^e ever more products 1hat are supposed to make our lives more convenient, mere are ever mote tompancs we need lo deal with to install and set up these producls or li* a problem when ihey fail, in the past, we used to interact ™ih a human being: now we are more likely to interact with a prerecorded voice message or a remole 'online technical help" center. Tfoe result: more cuslomer rage 1han ever. In fact, Vinjinia-tiasciJ Customer Care ATlianie, in a survey of 1,094 households, has concluded that U.S. companies are driving their customers crazy.

01 ine 45 perceni ot households that reported at least one 'serious problem" with a product or service in the post year, more than 1wo thirds of Ihose customers experienced "rage" over the way 1he incident was handled. Sixteen percent of respondent said ihey wanted 'revenue" on Ihe company, and 3 percent took legal aclion.

Rising frustration levels come al a price for companies. Angry customers can damage a brand or company wilh bad word of mouth Ninety percent or angry customers reported that they shared their stony with a friend. Mow, they can share their stores wilh strangers via the Intontflt 'The Internet is word ol mouth on steroids.' Pete Bfecfcshaw likes to say. and tie should hww Blackshaw is ctuel marketing and customer salisfaction officer tor inie'liseek, a company that has rode a profit by allowing consumers to rant—or rave—on i;s Pianeiieedhack com sile. Willi a tew clicks on ihe Pianetfeeaoadt

Site, shopgiers can ientl an e-mail, complain! compliment,, suggestion, or question direclty lo a company with the option to post comments publicly al IMS s ie as well.

That's what Gtfh Hecftef, a Colorado prescJwol a:de did, after she rc«wed a series of ttieaiening letters ¡rom CO dub, Coontia House, a lull sw years afler her daughter's membership espirid. HeChet couldn't get a response from Ihe company by phone or mail and was on the verge of sending in liie disputed 540 just lo salvage her credil ralarg. When Meckel sent her complain! to Columbia House via PianelJeedback.com, she got an e-mail conceding (he company's error antt the letters Sioppid. The r '-alihcod oF finally getting some action—or just the satisfaction of verting fMOt—is wliy consumers senl &7.000 e-mails to 15,000 companies via Planelfeedback last year alone. Sue MacdpnaW, art Mellisock spokesperson, saic- "About SO percent of ihe companies ¡respond lo the compiainls, some vjtlhin an hour."

Msre important than simply responding to a disgruntled cuslomer, however, is preventirtg dissatisfaction from occurring in the Inlnre. troireally, Blackshaw says, 'a company will spend hundreds of dollars per cuslomer to attract peopfe to ils business, but lar less to keep that customer once he or she has been acquired" Tnat may (mean simply taking the time lo nurture customer relationships and give customers aileron from an actual living, breathing human being. Columbia Records claims it is now spending SlO million to improve its call center and customers who phone the company tan now 'opt out' lo teach an operator at any point in iheir calls.

Sjuiiii. Jane Spcncer. "Case* of Customer Rage Mount as End Servict Pranks Vent ■iq." tifoXStteetJainiaf, Septemb« 1 ¡\2DQ3. p. W: Judi Keltc:cr. "Gitiivhhng Cfeounds-.-.-t:!OincfcASJi fliyivwsi Gauriei; Sepififflhef e, 2003; flicfiarci iiaiiks, "Ybu Can Ctk^i on Custcfiifir Dissiftte,' vwiri/i jsjurrju/ Constitution, June 29, 2003. p. 04; Mfcheie Slalella, 'Toll Free Apology soothes Savage Boast." (ten tiy* Fines. Fooruary 12, 2MM, p. C4; Bruce Honovil;. 'WliatiMr ttappen-id to Coroner Servi«?" US4 Icxtsy, ScptwriKr 2fi, 2003, p. Al.

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