Only One Reason to Call Customer Service--Solve the Problem

For years, I've been calling 1-800 numbers to get help and/or information (for business and personal needs), only to be disappointed that I hooked up with the rookie of the day. Solutions were hard to come by. I accepted it as a common condition and patiently waited for things to improve. I realize now that I'm a quintessential troubleshooter, brought about as a result of my occupation. Bankers hire me to fix broken things like their entire core system, not to brag about what works. But when som

As I prepared for my routine travel, item #18 on my checklist was "get cash." I got the cash but I didn't get my plastic back. The ATM screen said I wasn't going to get it, but didn't tell me why. Always expecting the worst case (I shoulda been in Risk Management), I called 1-800 to find out what I had done wrong. After two levels (CSR and Manager) of numerous apologies and "Hmmmm," I gave up. That night I got an unexpected call from a real person whose name I knew, but never met. Two days later, I received my replacement card at my temporary location (1,700 miles from Dallas), and I was reunited with my checking account. My Dallas man solved the problem. Tip O'Neill used to say, "All politics is local." I say, "Even in giant organizations, one local person is all you need to get results."

As a traveling man, I don't have the luxury of doing my business chores during prime time. So I had to solve a banking problem on Sunday. If the rookies are taking calls Mon. to Fri., who do you think is answering on Sundays? After the first 23 seconds, I began to relax. Just from the tone of the CSR's voice, I knew I could trust this guy to understand and handle a complex set of instructions. He solved my problem. One of the lessons I learned using 1-800 is if the first few seconds don't work, hang up and call back. The second time is usually the charm. I now put old tricks aside.

Based on experience, I've come to believe the 1-800 number is OK if all you need is account information. But 1-800 is an unreasonable way to achieve problem resolution with regard to tech matters. For example, I've coined a new phrase for Apple Computer. "What happens in Cupertino, unfortunately, stays in Cupertino." Steve Jobs has done a remarkable job for Apple in the development of innovative and ultra-usable products. But if you have to rely on an Apple store or 1-800 for technical support, you're not going to get the same level of excellence that comes with Apple products. Everybody in the field is a rookie.

And from what I see, the rookies have been taught an escape routine when they can't perform the main deed. It goes like this: 1) apologize a lot, 2) ask the caller to repeat the problem, 3) say "Hmmmm" a lot, 4) leave the line to check something, and 5) refer the caller to a third party scapegoat such as your Internet Service Provider. The closing comment is always, "Call us back if we can help you further." Oooohkay.

Customer support is a whole lot better in the bank tech world, and in my opinion, it deserves a J D Power award of its own. Every year, I conduct a program called, "Makin' The Rounds." I visit core vendors to cover a broad range of issues and practices. Vendors are proud of their customer service stats as well as their people. In one case, the company presented several of its CSRs where I had been meeting, and I had a small conversation with each one. At the end, I surprised everyone by telling them they could now go back to their acting careers because I didn't fall for the setup. They looked too happy, too well dressed, too candid, too rested, too confident and too quick to provide all the right answers. Only in the movies are things that perfect. I made a few friends that day.

Here are some of the reasons CSRs are good at what they do in the bank tech business:

• These are not entry level jobs. One has to build up to it in time and with experience.

• The arena, although broad, is defined. There are 132 applications in any bank tech system. CSRs specialize in a particular group. Customers don't have to explain the obvious.

• Employee turnover is extremely low at these companies. As a result, CSRs have built a personal database of problems they have previously heard many times over. They remember the answers.

• Callers are usually predictable to some extent so there's a better chance for understanding. In the generic world, a caller could be anyone from a seasoned 20-year user to a first-time ever computer user.

• CSRs not only solve the immediate problem, they provide value-add services by offering advice on how to prevent re-occurrences.

• CSRs are good problem solvers so they'll get right to the issue, rather than stroke the caller's ego (it's that apologize thing again) just to provide a temporary psychological fix.

• Sometimes the phones don't ring, so alert CSRs will follow up on a recent caller just to make sure the resolution worked. "Care" is not just a marketing word for these people.

I'm sure there are bankers out there who will disagree with my representation of the excellent customer service function at bank tech companies. To that, I would say that's why, five decades ago, I stopped using the word "perfect" as it relates to anything in the business of Information Technology. I'm content with how far we have come.