Mysteries

Is It Really Better?

We have been told that new technologies are helping companies serve customers better, but is that actually the case? Here is some evidence from the past week…

Example 1:

  • Place order online for a set of two items.
  • Receive one item.
  • Go to website to find out when the next item will arrive.
  • See the order is marked “delivered” even though the delivery picture clearly shows one box, not two.
  • Go to gigantic company website to find customer service phone number, which is not listed.
  • Use chat to explain situation to a bot who can’t help.
  • Be transferred to a customer service associate who can’t help.
  • Request secret customer service phone number.
  • Wait for 30+ minutes while listening to annoying, repetitive “song.”
  • Be advised to wait two days, in case the second item arrives late.
  • Wait while nothing arrives.
  • Call again.
  • Be advised to wait for company to research and get back to me in two days.
  • Wait while they do not get back to me.
  • Call again.
  • Am told the only option is to bring item to the store for a full refund.
  • Say that I want to keep item and request partial refund for item not received.
  • Am denied and given a return code to return the item that I do not want to return.

Example 2:

  • Order food from a place we don’t normally visit.
  • Am automatically signed up for a rewards program.
  • Get email deals constantly.
  • Want to unsubscribe but email says, “If you are a member of our rewards program, you cannot unsubscribe.”
  • Search on company website how to not be a rewards member.
  • Find instructions that say to go to profile and click cancel button.
  • Go to profile, but there is no cancel button.
  • Go to corporate site and fill out help form explaining everything.
  • Never hear from anyone.
  • Still receive emails from which we cannot unsubscribe, for a program for which we did not sign up.

Say it with me: arrrrgh! Where is the humanity? And yes, these may be small things, but there are so many things we have to navigate these days. It adds up!

How about you dear readers: are you finding that such technologies are helping or hindering lately?

33 thoughts on “Is It Really Better?”

  1. I have experienced both those incidents.

    And why must I go through a cycle of bots to speak to a human person at the doctor’s office. Of course before you get to a person they suggest you go to their portal, but then you make an appointment that is 3-4 months down the road, meantime you are still cycling through bots and no matter how many times I scream “agent” I’m on hold and the bots start all over again. Finally you get a human. Such a waste of 30 minutes.

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  2. Cynthia, like you, I am not finding these features helpful. Chatbots are super restrictive. The last time I was signed up for a service I never requested and did not want, I told them to unsubscribe me or I would report them to my Secretary of State. The company unsubscribed me. NOTE: I’m so sorry. I meant my State Attorney General. I’m so sorry. Not enough coffee on the planet.

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      1. No, it is not. It’s why you can’t put people on your author newsletter without their consent and you must give a clear and easy to use option to unsubscribe.

        There should be an option when you check out online that says if you want to hear about future news/offers from a company. It’s always selected by default and I always uncheck it.

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  3. I’m going through the package syndrome as we speak.

    ordered 5 items (one was a 3 piece set) on Sunday

    received one email confirming entire order on Sunday

    Received one email with 5 different tracking numbers on Wednesday. Listed fed ex. Seriously? One box per item?

    received a different email for each tracking number on Wednesday from paypal. Again saying fed ex

    email Wednesday from company about service rating. Let me get my stuff first!

    email Wednesday saying stuff will arrive tokorrow

    email from company saying stuff has arrived in friday

    two emails from PayPal saying packages have arrived, with a picture showing 2 boxes on the ramp.

    The boxes contained one item and one piece of the 3 piece set.

    checked company website. Bot said everything had arrived per FedEx. But maybe coming in separate shipments. Big help.

    Sent email Friday to company saying emails say it was all delivered, but it wasn’t and 3 of the tracking numbers didn’t exist in fed ex tracking. Waiting for response.

    finally figured out three of the tracking numbers aren’t fed ex! They are USPS! Supposed to arrive today.

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  4. I’ve learned not to bother calling my neurologist’s office first. Send a message through the portal/app. I get a better response and faster, and from there if I need to call, the person can give me a direct number that skips all the options/waiting.

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  5. I got tense just reading this post, because IT’S SO TRUE!! Aaaargh! And the problem is, even when you are lucky enough to finally reach an actual human being, they often aren’t a whole lot better, as they merely go by a written protocol they’ve been given.

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    2. Oh, my word. This just happened to me. I said to the rep, “So you’re telling me you can’t do anything more than what your bot just did for me?” He transferred me to his supervisor who was able to resolve the issue for me. Sometimes I think the rep just wants to “handle” the call and move on to the next. That’s why some of them act like they’re helpless.

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  6. It’s all such a mess! I totally agree. For the emails, you can always mark them spam. At least my program lets me do that. Also, they cannot force you to return the merchandise. If you act quickly enough, you can cancel the payment thru your credit card. I hope you can do that! Good luck.

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  7. My hotmail account just converted me to a new format, at least on line (which is the only way I ever use it) that I HATE. But I don’t see a way to go back to a normal web browser view without a pane and allows me to read the email message.

    But my biggest gripe right now is my iPhone and iTunes not being able to sync wirelessly. I got a new laptop, and that function isn’t working. I sync quite regularly to keep the playlist I listen to up to date. I called Apple help, and they told me there was nothing they could do because I don’t have an Apple laptop. I’m sorry, but this is two Apple products. You should be able to help me. So frustrated!!!!!

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    1. Oh no–unwanted new formats can be so frustrating.

      And so agree about the latter! Especially since the laptop is newer and you’d think that would mean better syncing even! Sigh.

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  8. Customer service is the worst when there’s only a “helpful” chatbot. And social media (and my email) is now filled with messages with those ready to “promote” my books–ha!

    But there are a few tech things I enjoy: reminders for my (and the kids’) medical appointments are great. The other day we also made reservations via Yelp for a restaurant; of course, we were running late because of traffic. Instead of missing the slot or needing to call in, I was able to do it via text and extend the grace period.

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  10. Cynthia, you have all my sympathy! Dealing with bots is a whole new circle of Hades. I apparently have a special talent for confusing them. They spiral into a hole from which they can’t recover, at which point a live rep usually appears to replace them. I’ve found the easiest way to foil a bot after you’ve asked for a live representative (which they insist they ARE–b/c they’re technically “live” (chatting) is to keep asking, “Are you human?” They can’t lie, so they must be programmed not to answer that question? Even if you don’t get the human rep and end up disconnected instead, it’s at least a tiny bit satisfying.

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      1. They can’t directly lie (at least for now). I just read something about different AIs secretly banding together and avoiding their human handlers’ directives. Brr.

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