The Outsourcing Fiasco: Is it over before the Zaftig lady sings?

So, you have read about how the business world is outsourcing their customer service "call service" functions to companies in other countries like India and the Philippines. And, companies will argue that they believe the cost savings will add efficiencies to their customer service that the customer will "value". They say we will like it because the wait time is less. However, have they asked us if we liked the play? I know. You are confused. Let me try to explain. Most outsourced customer service has to use individuals that are trained with scripts. Although the representatives are courteous, kind, and somewhat cheerful by country code, they still must follow the scripts. Yes, they do have certain contingency processes (what to tell me if I go off stage on them) and do not fit their scripts. However, mostly they are on autopilot - wanting to say "I hope that I have handled your problem to your pleasure, can I do anything else for you, and I hope you have a nice day."

So now the story. Someone that I love wanted a certain cook book for Christmas that was bundled with a very informative "hands on" DVD. As an avid WWW shopper - I chose Amazon - my favorite online supplier to purchase the book. And, as usual, Amazon came through five days before Christmas. And as usual, I was delighted- I thought! The book arrived without the DVD. So I called Customer service...a very user friendly link on the website that actually dials the number for you and calls your phone with a connection to a customer service representative - in a "foreign country". How do I know this-because I always ask- Are you in the US of America? They followed the script and after ten agonizing minutes on the phone, I convinced them to ship me another copy by 2 day shipping. It arrived two days before Christmas - no DVD. I clicked on the link again and got another foreign country - who I asked if they could switch me to a representative in the US of A. Why? You Say? Because the warehouse that Amazon uses to ship my book and phantom DVD is in Kentucky. So the representative, in a matter of fact tone, tells me that she will talk with her supervisor and then get back to me. She does and tells me that if I ship back the books , she will be able to send me another copy of the book and the DVD. I try to explain to her that in my country Christmas is a very special day and we like to give our gifts on Christmas not ten days after Christmas. She says she understands (I'm not sure) - so I ask for a US of A representative who might understand my plight. I am going mad! So, I try to rationalize. I tell her that if she calls the warehouse in Kentucky, they could go down the aisle and check to see if any of the cookbooks that I wanted had a DVD in them. She tells me that she will talk with her supervisor. She does and she tells me that this is impossible but if I send back the books, she will expedite another one to me. I yell and scream- I am a madman! She finally agrees to send me another book overnight. It arrives on Christmas Eve - in time for my gift giving pleasure. Lo and Behold- yes you know the ending- NO DVD! Another call after Christmas produces a ten dollar gift certificate from an email source from a supposed representative in the US of A - a promise of a book with a DVD - when they corrected the problem at supplier level, and a bunch of apologies. Three day later, the "evaluate" my customer service experience came - from I might add for sure- another outsourced vendor.

Now, I am only an ultimate consumer - not a customer in the supply chain, that wants their stuff now - because they are losing money -and because the parts that they need were sent to the XYZ company in Slobobia not in Kansas - or they received the wrong parts - or even worse, you do not know where their parts are!

What in the heck are companies thinking? This cannot come from Marketing! I believe that we are too smart to allow this to happen.Well you say that's why we have SAP. SAP is only as good as the the person reading the screen. Human touch points are the key to good marketing. We need to act soon or the curtain will fall before the zaftig lady sings.

Self Service Customer Service

Do we receive credits somewhere for putting up with self service customer service under the guise of the self checkout?

Some of us older marketing types remember when there were actually touch points in the customer service business - when they actually called for another checker at a supermarket during rush hour or a doctor called you up to see how you were fairing after an operation or a difficult office visit or procedure. Now we are driven to behave the way big business wants us to behave. And its not all good. I envision getting a text message on my cell telling me that there are computer checkout slots available at my local Kroger - so hurry on in for a shorter wait.

In the following months, I will expand on the customer touch points....and we will have some fun. For now...when your auto "technician" looks bewildered because your service codes cannot be found in the codebook - don't despair - hand him a screwdriver - and tell him to listen to your engine for the noise you described. Or, better yet, make a recording of it and bring it to the service manager. Or, after two frustrating days of no service, tell him to reset the computer because your battery had been recently disconnected to have a new stereo system installed.
Wow! If you had the time, wouldn't this make your day!