Are your customers
bored? Conduct this checkup to see.
December 12, 2005
At some point, most utility customers end up waiting,
whether they're on hold with a customer service representative or waiting to
be served in a customer service area. That can lead to boredom and
annoyance, the last thing any utility wants.
"When utilities make their customers wait and wait,
they're stealing precious time from them," says David Saxby, president of
Phoenix-based Measure-X, a company that specializes in helping utilities
improve their customer service and sales. "That being said, most people
don't mind waiting as long as they don't 'feel' like they're waiting."
Saxby recommends utilities conduct a customer waiting
"checkup" by evaluating the following items:
- What is the average hold time
for a customer before he or she can speak with a customer service
representative on the telephone?
- If the customer is on hold, is
there a prerecorded message playing?
- Does the recorded information
they hear on the telephone provide valuable or interesting information?
- If a prerecorded message is
playing on the phone, is the volume too loud?
- Some businesses have a talk
radio program on the line. Do you? This is a dangerous practice because of
the offensive style of many talk radio hosts or the nature of the topics
being discussed.
- How long are customers waiting
in the waiting room of your customer service area?
- Do your customers have something
to do while they're waiting?
- Do you observe customers
glancing at their watches while they wait? This is a major clue that
they're bored.
- Is there a place for your
customers to sit or do they have to stand? Boredom and annoyance settle in
quicker when people have to stand for a long period of time.
- Do you apologize if your
customer encounters a lengthy delay, whether that is on the phone or in
person?
"Here is the most
important question of all," Saxby says. "Is the service you deliver to your
customers worth the wait?"
-------------------------------------
David Saxby is president of Measure-X, a Phoenix,
Ariz.-based measurement, training and recognition company that specializes in
customer service and sales skill training for utility companies. He can be
reached at 888-644-5499 or via e-mail at
david@measure-x.com. Visit the Measure-X Web site at
www.measure-x.com.
