Telephone pet peeves...
Please listen carefully because our options have changed.
- I don't care if they changed just tell me the options. If people are calling your support line so often that they memorize the options you have bigger problems.
We are experiencing unusually high call volume.
- Bullshit. If you have a voice message telling me it's unusually high volume it can't be that unusuall.
After asking me to answer a set of automated questions and input personal information such as SS#, PIN, Account # don't force me to go through it again with a person.
- Either create a data path from the computer to the receptionist or don't bother asking the automated questions.
If I can't answer an automated question don't hang up on me.
- I've seen a number of automated phone systems that actually hang up on the person calling. This is an awful user experience. Now the user has to find the number again, and call back.
Use Caller ID
Caller ID is a super usefull way to lookup information about customers without asking tons of questions and going through the NameAccountAddress shuffle. Call centers should be using CallerID to lookup my information before I even say Hello. A local shop next to where I live has done this with ease. When I call they know when I called last, what I ordered and where I live. Any company that doesn't do this should be embarased to know that they have a worse customer call experience then my corner pizza place.