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Monday, December 4, 2006
Angel of Drama on: Props to AT&T
Yes, you read that correctly. I am giving PROPS to a phone company! Go ahead, pinch yourself to make sure you aren't dreaming. I'll wait.

Did you hurt yourself? Good, see, you are alive and not dreaming.

Customer service IS NOT DEAD! I repeat, CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NOT DEAD! Were you like me and beginning to think that customer service had been on the world's extinction list? Did you think that it was just remnent of years ago when little mom and pop stores ruled the world and people actually pumped your gas for you?

Guess, what people, AT&T has resurrected the ancient art of customer service. AT&T took over SBC here in Illinois (and maybe elsewhere but I'm not a walking business news magazine). When you dial their 800# a voice operated phone system answers and I don't cringe in disgust over it! It understands what I say and isn't as restrictive to certain words as most are. I usually find myself cussing out voice operated computers because they don't understand what I'm saying.

"NO YOU PIECE OF SHIT VOICE COMPUTER! I WANT AN AGENT"

"Let me see if I understood you correctly, you wish to pay your bill"

"AGENT! I WANT AN AGENT!"

"I'm not understanding you. You say you need technical assistance?"

"I WANT TO TALK TO A LIVE, LIVING, BREATHING PERSON!"

"Hold one moment while I transfer you to an operator."

"Dear God that is all I wanted in the first place!"

That is how past conversations with voice operated computers used to go. Now, when I call AT&T I get this pleasant voice computer who lets me direct where I need to go. He is so incredibly friendly that he just says, "Tell us a little bit about why you are calling". I can say something like "Customer service please" and he directs me to an operator! How about that!

So, I have dealt with AT&T about 5 times in the last 4 days. We have ordered some new services thru them because of some bundling package rates that will save us quite a bit of money. Each time I call and get transferred to a rep without having to scream at an inatimate computer I am greeted with:

"Hi, this is (insert name), how can I assure you are completely satisfied today?"

"Well, aside from giving me mulitiple orgasms and baking me a chocolate chip cookies, I just need to discuss my recent order."

"Sure, how can I assist you?"

I go on to explain my issues and the agents, each and every last one of them, have bent over backwards to help me. They are pleasant, KNOWLEDGEABLE and have gone above and beyond in their service. Now, usually when you call a company you either get a rude agent who doesn't know jack, or you get one great agent that answers all of your questions but you have to call back and ask a couple more things and you find out that the previous agent was just a dream and everything they said was all false information.

The agents at AT&T must be specially trained because they all know what they are talking about. They seem to be intelligent people that speak well and don't appear to be located in India. They also make wonderful notations in your accounts because when you call back the new rep knows exactly what happened in your last phone call. I have had charges waived and received a lot of great information that remained consistant with every subsequent phone call. And, even when a mistake was made and I called back to ask for some resolution, they came thru.

When I receive service like this it puts me at ease and makes me believe that people in this world really do care. It also lowers my defenses so I am able to express what I need clearly without frustration and therefore, being nice to the agent, gets me resolution that I find acceptable. When I worked for an airline in their call center I always made sure I took care of our passengers and went above and beyond for them. There were many times I had people call me very angry and many even swore at me. Most times I could calm them down, turn their problem into a solution and make them happy. Sometimes I even made the angriest of men laugh by the end of the call. It was a challenge for me. So I am extra sensitive to customer service when it comes to call centers because I know exactly how they work.

I just want to say thanks to AT&T for their outstanding service and employees. You have rejuvinated my hope that customer service will come back. Consistancy is vital to a company and they have definitely got that down.

Go ahead, re-read this if you need too. I really did say the words "customer service, consistancy and knowledgeable, intelligent employees in one post regarding a phone company. It's not a dream.

1 Comments:

Blogger Angel of Design said...

It is a wild and wonderful thing when you get a delightful computer operated phone system that directs you to a live person.

I had that happen yesterday except it was routed to India and I barely understood Apu. (Not a slam or un-PC statement, just fact)

*sigh* I'm glad at least one of us had a satisfactory dealing with customer service.

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