Comments on: Tuesday Quik Tip: Automatic for the People http://promodiva.com/2008/12/tuesday-quik-tip-automatic-for-the-people/ The Promo Diva® Blog - Creative, Caffeinated Marketing Outside the Box - Small Business Consulting - Copywriting & Publicity Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:02:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Website Builders Resource Carnival #5 | Website Builders Resource http://promodiva.com/2008/12/tuesday-quik-tip-automatic-for-the-people/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Website Builders Resource Carnival #5 | Website Builders Resource Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:22:36 +0000 http://promodiva.com/?p=885#comment-28 [...] Hayner Vanover presents Tuesday Quik Tip: Automatic for the People posted at Traci Hayner Vanover - The Caffeinated Marketing Musings of the Promo Diva®, saying, [...] [...] Hayner Vanover presents Tuesday Quik Tip: Automatic for the People posted at Traci Hayner Vanover – The Caffeinated Marketing Musings of the Promo Diva®, saying, [...]

]]> By: admin http://promodiva.com/2008/12/tuesday-quik-tip-automatic-for-the-people/comment-page-1/#comment-23 admin Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:58:56 +0000 http://promodiva.com/?p=885#comment-23 Brian: Excellent points, and very helpful insights! Over the holiday week, our power was out for (3) days. One thing that was very frustrating was how difficult it was to get updates on the progress of those working to restore our power. It wasn't until the 3rd day that we actually were able to get any live folks to speak to. The truth is, we would have been happy with a recording, so long as it was being updated with any regularity. Anyone else have thoughts on this? Brian:
Excellent points, and very helpful insights!

Over the holiday week, our power was out for (3) days. One thing that was very frustrating was how difficult it was to get updates on the progress of those working to restore our power. It wasn’t until the 3rd day that we actually were able to get any live folks to speak to. The truth is, we would have been happy with a recording, so long as it was being updated with any regularity.

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

]]> By: Brian http://promodiva.com/2008/12/tuesday-quik-tip-automatic-for-the-people/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Brian Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:59:40 +0000 http://promodiva.com/?p=885#comment-22 It is amazing how some businesses (large and small) are practically in the stone age when it comes to providing (or not providing) customer online self-service. I dropped a life insurance company a couple of years ago because their online "customer self service" web site was practically useless. The most logged in customers could do was check their balance and policy amounts and cash values. Customers couldn't even pay their bills online. What a joke! After I brought it to the attention of their customer service team, I got the standard "thank you for your concern" response without any real justification for the spartanness of their customer web site or any indication more functionality was to come in the future. Some companies just don't get it - it seems some firms swing to one extreme or the other in terms of offering customers "self-service" web options. Some provide too little online - like the insurance company - others are so adamant to push customers to use online service features to the exclusion of personal attention. While it's usually more cost-effective to handle customer transactions through online channels, there still needs to be an easily-accessible option to reach a competent live human being for assistance. It's tricky to balance providing the right mix of availability of online options vs. live agent assistance. It is amazing how some businesses (large and small) are practically in the stone age when it comes to providing (or not providing) customer online self-service.

I dropped a life insurance company a couple of years ago because their online “customer self service” web site was practically useless. The most logged in customers could do was check their balance and policy amounts and cash values. Customers couldn’t even pay their bills online. What a joke!

After I brought it to the attention of their customer service team, I got the standard “thank you for your concern” response without any real justification for the spartanness of their customer web site or any indication more functionality was to come in the future.

Some companies just don’t get it – it seems some firms swing to one extreme or the other in terms of offering customers “self-service” web options. Some provide too little online – like the insurance company – others are so adamant to push customers to use online service features to the exclusion of personal attention.

While it’s usually more cost-effective to handle customer transactions through online channels, there still needs to be an easily-accessible option to reach a competent live human being for assistance. It’s tricky to balance providing the right mix of availability of online options vs. live agent assistance.

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