So, earlier this month I was left incandescent with rage when trying to get in touch with not 1, not 2, but 3 of my suppliers urgently. And do you know what? It was a bloody nightmare.
First up. EON NEXT. Like many others I was sent a communication saying my direct debit was yet again increasing, however due to some changes in circumstance I want to discuss this with them. Could I find a phone number? Could I hell. After 20 minutes or so of searching I furiously rang EON who very begrudgingly handed out EON Next’s number. I was then put on hold for 95, yes NINETY-FIVE, minutes (the hold music is now seared into my brain) until someone was able to talk to me (admittedly she was very nice). However, something went wrong halfway through the call, and we got cut off. She never phoned me back, despite presumably having all my details in front of her. So, I had to start the whole rigmarole again. This time with my blood pressure at a dangerously high level.
Next up BT. I’ve had an upgrade (allegedly) of my internet. And with it come these booster discs to ensure that I get superior Wi-Fi across the house. All well and good. However, in the onboarding literature it said that I could have up to three discs to ensure full coverage. Having set up my first disc it became apparent that I would need another disk. I thought it would be a simple job of contacting BT and asking them to send out another disc. HA! Easy, my foot. Forty-five minutes later (45 minutes I’ll never get back) I’m going round and round in circles with their predictive bot who clearly has not the faintest idea of what I’m talking about. I gave up. Simply didn’t have the energy to try and talk to someone about it. The bot refused to impart anything useful like a phone number. However, if they had put me through to a real-life person, I have no doubt my request would have been resolved in less than three minutes.
Third. Hootsuite. No numbers anywhere. Email us. Done. Automated response saying my ticket had been logged. Heard nothing back. Emailed again. Ticket logged reply again. Still no response. Eventually a few days later a bot responds. No help whatsoever. The bot and I are now playing email tennis – I reply to their emails as soon as they come in and I get another unintelligible email a few days later – and so it goes. For a company that is all about social, it isn’t very sociable itself.
The list goes on. I must gear myself up to contact British Airways later about a flight that never happened. Always a joy!
I’ve been happily dining out with the above tales of woe to literally anyone that will listen. And in response I get a few corkers back… Scottish Power, Endsleigh Insurance, Go Henry, British Gas, Virgin Media, Sky to shame but a few.
But it is not just B2C brands. Listening to our clients this erosion of customer service is something that is also inflicting the B2B world. Seemingly all and sundry are replacing the human element with technology and client service is becoming a distant memory. We categorically refuse to adopt this strategy, no matter what the cost savings might be. We care about our customers and know the pressures they are under which need immediate attention and a human-being at the end of a telephone line or email. We understand that leaving customer queries unanswered or hours of delay in getting back to them could have a very negative impact on their business. In the print and mailing world, delays like this can mean machines standing idol, which impacts on customer SLAs and a company’s bottom line profit, which is why all our clients not just have traditional contact details for us but also our mobile numbers too.
The bottom line is that we care and that’s what sets us apart. I’m now going to go and spend the next 3 hours on hold to BA; in the meantime, please see some lovely testimonials from our clients below!
Huw Williams at Adare Sec says “I’ve been using solutions provided by the Software Bureau for 18 years, as a developer for the first 11 years and managing teams who use the products since. Cygnus has allowed us to process data swiftly and efficiently across a myriad of projects, providing our clients with excellent results every time, backed up with professional reports where required. They have extremely quick response times and helpful, friendly technical support which always ends with a positive solution. Our account director is always available to help with any queries or requests. First class customer care!”
Carl Blake at RNB Group adds “Throughout our partnership, The Software Bureau support team has consistently resolved our issues promptly and effectively. Their commitment to going above and beyond to ensure our problems are sorted has been greatly appreciated. They show a deep understanding of our needs, and their expertise in troubleshooting and problem-solving has been invaluable. Their commitment to customer satisfaction is truly commendable, and we have no hesitation in recommending them to others.”
