It was a typical morning in our household. My wife Clair and I were sipping our coffee, discussing the day ahead when she asked, “Has Microsoft called you yet?”
“No,” I replied, a hint of frustration creeping into my voice. I’d requested a call on their support system twice in the last 24 hours, and still, nothing.
Clair, not one to be outdone, trumped my complaint with her own. “And I’m still waiting for a callback after two lodged support calls with Virgin Media from 10 days ago.”
Now, we’re not a competitive couple by nature (actually, that’s not true!), but I couldn’t help myself. I retorted, “I’m still waiting for a callback from the Surrey Coroner from the middle of August.” This was after phoning the Coroner’s number, the only option being to leave a voicemail which I did twice.
As the words left my mouth, I realised we’d stumbled upon a topic that deserved more attention. It’s a phenomenon that’s become all too common in our modern world: the empty promise of customer service from big brands and important organisations.
I would refer you to my last blog post. “The Joys of Sharing Your Woes (Not).” The irony of these consecutive posts has not escaped, but let’s look further at the empty promise of customer service.
The Illusion of Care
It’s a scene we’ve all experienced. You’re on a company’s website, scrolling through their ‘About Us’ page or their mission statement. You’re bombarded with phrases like “customer-centric”, “we’re here for you”, and “your satisfaction is our top priority”. It all sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? These organisations paint a picture of themselves as caring, attentive entities that exist solely to meet your needs.
But then reality hits. You encounter a problem, and suddenly, that caring facade crumbles away. You’re left navigating labyrinthine phone menus, waiting on hold for hours, or worse, submitting support tickets that vanish into the ether, never to be acknowledged.
This disconnect between what companies promise and what they deliver isn’t just frustrating – it’s damaging. It erodes trust, breeds cynicism, and ultimately, it hurts both the brand and the customer.
The Microsoft Conundrum
Let’s start with my own recent experience with Microsoft. Now, Microsoft is a tech giant, a household name that’s been around for decades. They’ve built their empire on the promise of making technology accessible and user-friendly. Their slogan, “Empowering every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more,” sounds noble and inspiring (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/about).
Yet, here I am, two support requests later, still waiting for a simple callback. It’s not that I’m expecting Bill Gates himself to ring me up, but is it too much to ask for a response within 24 hours?
This isn’t just about me being impatient. It’s about a fundamental breakdown in the service Microsoft promises to deliver. When a company of this size and reputation fails to meet basic customer service expectations, it sends a clear message: despite what they say, your problem isn’t their priority.
Clair’s 10-Day Wait
My wife Clair’s situation is even more egregious. Ten days and two support calls later, she’s still waiting for a response. With Virgin Media, the principle remains the same. These are organisations that have built their reputations on innovation and customer satisfaction. They have the resources, the technology, and supposedly the will to provide top-notch service.
So why the radio silence? It’s not a matter of capability. It’s a matter of priority. Somewhere along the line, these companies have decided that following through on their promises of stellar customer service isn’t as important as making those promises in the first place.
The Surrey Coroner’s Office: A Different Kind of Silence
Now, you might be thinking, “Well, that’s just big tech companies for you. What do you expect?” But this problem isn’t limited to the private sector. My ongoing wait for a callback from the Surrey Coroner’s office since August is a prime example.
This isn’t a company trying to sell me something. This is a public service, an essential part of our legal and administrative system. The coroner’s office deals with matters of life and death, quite literally. You’d think that timely communication would be a top priority.
Yet, here we are, a month later, still waiting. It’s a stark reminder that this issue of promising care but failing to deliver extends far beyond the corporate world. It’s a societal problem, one that affects our interactions with both private and public institutions.
The Cost of Empty Promises
At this point, you might be wondering, “So what? Companies and organisations don’t always live up to their promises. That’s just the way the world works, isn’t it?” But I’d argue that this attitude is precisely the problem. We’ve become so accustomed to poor service that we’ve started to accept it as the norm.
But let’s consider the real cost of these empty promises:
Trust Erosion
Every time a company or organisation fails to deliver on its promises, it chips away at the trust we place in them. Over time, this erosion of trust can have serious consequences. We become more cynical and less likely to believe in the sincerity of any organisation’s claims. This cynicism doesn’t just affect our relationship with that particular entity – it colours our view of all institutions.
Customer Frustration and Stress
Being left in limbo, waiting for a response that never comes, is more than just annoying. It’s stressful. It can disrupt our lives, delay important decisions, and leave us feeling powerless and ignored. In the case of essential services like the coroner’s office, this stress can be particularly acute, compounding what is already likely to be a difficult and emotional time.
Wasted Time and Resources
Think about the cumulative hours spent by customers trying to get responses, navigating phone systems, and repeating their problems to multiple representatives. Now multiply that by millions of customers. The amount of time and energy wasted is staggering. And it’s not just customers who suffer – companies waste resources too, dealing with escalated complaints and damaged reputations.
Missed Opportunities for Improvement
When organisations fail to engage with their customers’ problems, they miss out on valuable feedback. Every unanswered call or email is a lost opportunity to learn, improve, and innovate. In a world where customer experience is increasingly becoming a key differentiator, this failure to engage and improve can be a significant competitive disadvantage.
The Psychology Behind the Problem
To truly understand this issue, we need to delve into the psychology behind it. Why do organisations make promises they can’t (or won’t) keep? And why do we, as consumers, continue to believe them?
The Optimism Bias
On the organisational side, there’s often an optimism bias at play. Companies genuinely believe they can deliver excellent service to every customer, every time. They set lofty goals and make grand promises, often without fully considering the resources and systems needed to fulfil those promises consistently.
The Illusion of Transparency
There’s also what psychologists call the illusion of transparency. Organisations assume that their intentions (to provide good service) are clear to everyone. They forget that customers don’t see their internal processes or challenges – all customers see is the result, which often falls short of expectations.
Cognitive Dissonance
On the customer side, we often experience cognitive dissonance. We want to believe that the organisations we deal with are trustworthy and competent. So when we encounter poor service, we might make excuses or assume it’s a one-off incident. This allows us to maintain our belief in the organisation, even in the face of contradictory evidence.
The Sunk Cost Fallacy
Once we’ve invested time and energy into dealing with an organisation – whether it’s buying their products or engaging their services – we become susceptible to the sunk cost fallacy. We’ve already put so much in that we’re reluctant to give up, even when we’re consistently disappointed.
The Role of Technology: Help or Hindrance?
In our increasingly digital world, technology plays a significant role in customer service. On paper, it should make things easier. Automated systems, chatbots, and online support portals are supposed to streamline the process, making it quicker and more efficient for both companies and customers.
But in practice, technology often becomes a barrier rather than a bridge. How many times have you found yourself shouting “Representative!” into your phone, desperately trying to bypass an automated system? Or clicking through endless FAQ pages, searching for an answer to a question that isn’t covered?
The irony is palpable. Companies invest in these technologies to improve customer service but often end up creating more frustration. It’s a classic case of losing sight of the forest for the trees. In the pursuit of efficiency, the human element – the very thing that defines good customer service – gets lost.
The Human Touch in a Digital Age
This brings us to a crucial point: the importance of the human touch in customer service. Yes, technology can be incredibly useful. It can handle routine queries, provide quick answers, and free up human representatives to deal with more complex issues. But it should never completely replace human interaction.
There’s a reason why “Please hold for a representative” is often met with a sigh of relief. We inherently understand that some problems require human understanding, empathy, and problem-solving skills that even the most advanced AI can’t replicate (at least not yet).
Companies that recognise this and strike a balance between technological efficiency and human interaction are the ones that truly excel in customer service. They use technology to enhance the customer experience, not to replace human connection.
The Power of Accountability
One of the most frustrating aspects of poor customer service is the lack of accountability. When you’re left waiting for a callback that never comes, or when your support ticket disappears into the void, there’s often no way to hold anyone responsible.
This lack of accountability is a significant factor in the persistence of poor service. Without consequences, there’s little incentive for improvement. It’s a problem that extends from front-line customer service representatives up to top-level management.
Implementing systems of accountability could go a long way towards improving customer service. This could involve:
- Clear escalation processes for unresolved issues
- Regular audits of customer service performance
- Tying customer satisfaction metrics to employee and executive performance reviews
- Publicly reporting on customer service metrics
By making customer service a key performance indicator at all levels of the organisation, companies can ensure that it remains a top priority.
The Role of Regulation
While improved self-regulation within organisations is important, there’s also a role for external regulation to play. This is particularly true for essential services and public sector organisations.
In the UK, we have bodies like Ofcom for communications companies and the Financial Conduct Authority for financial services. These regulators set standards for customer service and can impose penalties on companies that fail to meet them.
However, the effectiveness of these regulators is often questioned. Are the penalties severe enough to drive real change? Are the standards high enough? And what about sectors where regulation is less stringent?
There’s a delicate balance to strike here. Over-regulation can stifle innovation and increase costs, which ultimately get passed on to consumers. But under-regulation leaves customers vulnerable to poor service with little recourse.
Perhaps what we need is a more collaborative approach, where regulators work with companies to develop best practices and create a culture of continuous improvement in customer service.
Learning from the Best
While it’s easy to focus on the negatives, it’s worth noting that some companies do get customer service right. These organisations understand that good customer service isn’t just about solving problems – it’s about creating positive experiences that build long-term loyalty.
Take companies like Zappos, for example. The online shoe retailer is legendary for its customer service. They don’t just respond quickly to customer queries – they go above and beyond, often in surprising and delightful ways. There are countless stories of Zappos representatives sending flowers to customers who mentioned they were having a bad day, or overnighting shoes to a best man who’d forgotten his for a wedding (https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2015/01/09/five-ways-to-deliver-unbeatable-customer-service-zappos-style/?sh=7a5c84f61a6d).
Or consider Ritz-Carlton, whose employees are empowered to spend up to $2,000 per guest to solve any problem or improve their stay. This level of trust and empowerment allows staff to provide truly exceptional service (https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/about/gold-standards).
These companies understand a fundamental truth: exceptional customer service isn’t just a cost centre – it’s a powerful marketing tool and a key driver of business success.
The Way Forward
So, where do we go from here? How can we bridge the gap between the promise of care and the reality of service?
For Organisations:
- Be realistic in your promises. It’s better to under-promise and over-deliver than the other way around.
- Invest in your customer service team. Provide thorough training, empower them to make decisions, and treat them well. Happy employees lead to happy customers.
- Use technology wisely. Implement systems that enhance rather than replace human interaction.
- Create a culture of accountability. Make customer satisfaction a key metric at all levels of the organisation.
- Listen to your customers. Regularly solicit feedback and act on it.
For Customers:
- Vote with your wallet. Support companies that provide good service and avoid those that consistently fail to deliver.
- Speak up. Provide feedback, both positive and negative. Companies can’t improve if they don’t know where they’re falling short.
- Know your rights. Familiarise yourself with consumer protection laws and regulatory bodies in your area.
- Be patient, but persistent. Remember that most customer service representatives are doing their best in often difficult circumstances.
- Share your experiences. Whether good or bad, sharing your customer service experiences can help others and incentivise companies to do better.
A Call to Action
As I sit here, still waiting for callbacks from Microsoft, my wife’s tech company, and the Surrey Coroner’s office, I’m reminded of a quote often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Perhaps it’s time for all of us – customers, employees, managers, and executives – to take a stand for better customer service. To demand more from the organisations we interact with, and to do better when we’re in a position to serve others.
At the end of the day, good customer service isn’t just about solving problems or answering questions. It’s about treating people with respect, empathy, and care. It’s about recognising the humanity in every interaction, whether it’s face-to-face, over the phone, or through a computer screen.
In a world that often feels increasingly impersonal and automated, maybe that’s the most important promise we can make – and keep.
As for me, I’ll keep waiting for those callbacks. But I won’t be holding my breath. Instead, I’ll be thinking about how I can do better in my interactions, and how I can provide the kind of service I wish I was receiving. Because change has to start somewhere. Why not with us?
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