Domestic Customer Support

Just called VZW (Verizon Wireless), and spoke to a domestic support rep, very knowledgeable, very polite, very efficient! What an amazing experience that makes me want to keep my business with them.

What a difference from other support calls to various big companies the last couple of years. The backlash against against “commodity” service is finally having an effect, as companies realize that customer service is not just a cost to be cut as close as possible to the bone, but a major component of their brand reputation.

It has always seemed crazy to me, to take a customer, who is already mad at you, and send them into a maze of button-pushing forwarding circular phone menus to eventually speak to unhelpful, untrained, un-empowered, un-friendly, unable–to-speak-English support personnel. Not only does the customer’s problem not get solved, but they now have another complaint. That is company suicide.

These people whose money you have or want, and who know the rest of the people whose money you have or want, they are the very ones who’s frowns you need to strive to turn upside down.

I’ve heard recently that good support is a “differentiator”. In other words companies who buck the trend to provide it really set themselves apart and make themselves attractive. Don’t be fooled. Your brand value is exposed to negative or positive opinion long after the sale. It is hanging out there, for anyone and everyone to ruin or build up, every day. Good support is one of your few defenses and offenses. I’d suggest in terms of your brand it’s more important than the sale, and up there with product quality.

Just to be clear, I’m not putting down offshoring support per se. But unless and until the quality of that support is a compliment to the brand, it’s not good enough.

Man I hope this is a trend.