Many of us will have been left frustrated by poor customer service. Especially when left to languish in a phone queue for seemingly endless periods when being regularly told “your call is ‘important”.
For the most part we simply have to grin and bear it.
But what if the call is about an emergency situation and the person trying to reach out for help is a vulnerable person?
That is when poor service can add up to something altogether more serious.
Local MP John Nicolson found himself battling with a major energy supplier after being contacted by an elderly constituent with Parkinson’s who was terrified his supply was about to be cut off due to a meter fault.
It took a concerted effort by Mr Nicolson and his staff – and a little public persuasion via social media – to finally get the right result.
But it begs the question of how many others are suffering in silence.
Spoke too soon. @OVOEnergy said they’d resolved this but my constituent’s meter is broken again. Unbelievably their “customer service” have phoned & asked him to send photos (he has Parkinson’s tremors). When he couldn’t @OVOEnergy they said he was “wasting our time” & hung up. pic.twitter.com/zz2nRah2md
— JOHN NICOLSON M.P. (@MrJohnNicolson) December 16, 2022
Critical service suppliers need to ensure their procedures are robust and lessons are learned wherever faults do occur.
The real life impacts of failing the customer – especially those who are vulnerable – may not be immediately obvious.
But they can be incredibly serious and leave an indelible mark.
Those calls for help really are important.
Conversation