Fed up calling institutions and greeted by automated services

20.MAY.11

Editor: Please allow me space to open a debate to which I do not have an answer, but of which I have great concern.

I am shocked to note that with the worldwide phenomena of the Education Revolution that suppliers of services are of the opinion that they are doing customers or potential customers a favour.{{more}}

I am fed up calling institutions and being greeted by automated services directing you to a menu before someone would then greet you and ask you to hold, before transferring you to yet another. Moreso, I have left various messages on these services and still await their response.

I am the holder of an Associate Customer Service with Honours (LOMA) since 2000 and have done extensive refresher training in this field since then, and never have I encountered a discourse where automation is superior to the human touch.

It is my considered opinion that institutions must put more weight on what is relevant, cultural and realistic to their environment rather that embracing metropolitan behaviours and norms (sometimes, head office syndrome).

By the way, when ATM was introduced in Canada, the financial Institutions paid greater interest rates to customers who used that service because it reduced their operational cost…

What do you think?

Collin D Cambridge