Customer Service is Rapidly Declining

Who is tired of customer-service no longer answering the phone? Or worst yet, staying on hold for 10 minutes while you navigate a never ending loop of automated voicemail and then the line dies? Gone are the days where you look for a customer service number on a website, call the number, and a human resolves your problem immediately. Now one is lucky to even find a customer service number for a company.

What was once essential to business operations to build relationships and customer loyalty, is now declining at a rate where it may soon not exist at all.  Although it had been declining, social media companies were the ones who really increased this trend.  I will never forget the CEO of Facebook stating that they cannot efficiently support 500,000 customers.  I knew when I heard that quote, it would be the rational for every company to stop supporting their clients at previous levels of care and professionalism.

Recently I was having an issue with my bank so I went in to speak with the manager.  She had been there for quite sometime and we had a lengthy discussion about how I miss the personal relationship I have had with my account managers in years past.  She tried to convince me that the personal support I enjoyed was coming back.  I left the bank encouraged my issue would be immediately resolved.

The following day I sent her a follow up email and received a response that she would be out the rest of the week and would take care of my issue on Monday.  Three weeks after that Monday, I still had not received any response, and still had the same issue.

Companies now employ individuals who do as little as possible to support the customer. Companies rationalize this poor level of service due to cutbacks, the struggling economy, and the need to remain competitive in their market.  When Covid-19 hit, this just gave them more ammo for that argument. This minimalist approach to customer service is now the norm, regardless of business sector.

I am definitely a proponent of innovation and technology to improve operational efficiency, but it should not replace the human element entirely. Companies need to find a balance that utilizes technology without replacing personal customer service interactions.