Thanks for bringing this to my notice.... I am sure that many people will be interested in the subject matter, especially those of us who have a great need for chat.... aka customer service..
It`s good of @LouisaMartin to admit .....
On the back of the poor service levels we’ve been experiencing over the previous months, we’re going to change the way we use chat on the site and give our customers a better experience.
Despite the current lies being broadcast on television advertising, about "award winning customer service".. ( as if.... )
Perhaps the money saved by stopping this ridiculous advert from running. could be put to better use, in implementing a properly structured staffing level, with good training, and good career prospects being important to keeping "the good ones" and thus improving the "poor service levels we`ve been experiencing"...
On first "read through"... @LouisaMartin seems to be giving us "the good news"... which is, in effect. exactly the opposite of what is being done with chat....
"Auto-routing"... on chat.... sounds like some kind of "new wave" super dooper progressive system has been installed...
We have now defined a new service level (SLA) for our chat channel. So, if a customer is trying to get through and the maximum wait time (SLA) is set at i.e. 5mins, if we are at that level,
the customer will no longer be able to chat and the chat option will show as Busy.
Once the SLA drops below the defined SLA, the funnel will open up again for customers to join that queue.
oh, dear... not when you read on, and realise that this is "gobbledegook" speak, for using less staff and giving the customer LESS choice... Prior to this debacle, if all the customers came on to Chat, with the "same level" of requirements, then the queuing system that indicates "we are very busy, .. your turn is 21 .... " and the customers can see they are being progressed down to the the lower numbers as previous calls are dealt with.. knowing, also, that it may take some time... but... at least I am in the queue, and it will be my turn....( soon ) sometime ...
Once the SLA drops below the defined SLA, the funnel will open up again for customers to join that queue.
this Auto Routing, could mean that if 10 people have tech queries, however, those in the queue for more than 5 mins will be told... "BUSY"... and will be refused entry into the queueing system,. and have to keep trying to get started on chat... over and over again.
. meanwhile, some other lucky b** just manages to get in, and keep the others out.. due to the infinitely small time gap between one customer ending his call, and his call being registered....
. meanwhile over on "provisioning"..7 customers "could" be waiting... but the latest arrivals will be shut out, because of the 5 min rule, giving a "BUSY" response
. so.... these people will be added back into the "unknown" queue, trying to get into the "funnel" for customers to REJOIN that queue, that they were barred from by the "5 mins" ( or whatever ) rule.
Can you see what is happening here? it will be worse than on the Phone queue.... ( no idea when your call will be answered....) but
"thank you for calling PlusNet... your call is important to us and will be answered............ ) ( whenever we can find someone to answer it, but we`re not telling you when )....
@LouisaMartin states......
This will mean customers have a better experience when getting into a chat queue,
Are you really sure of that , Louisa ? ? ?
@LouisaMartin
as the maximum amount of time they will be waiting is heavily reduced,
NO.. ! It won`t... ... what you are doing, is cutting customers off from the use of chat by showing "BUSY"... so they are still have a waiting time, (trying repeatedly to get back into the queue that you have denied them)...
that is "not recorded" or shown on YOUR statistics, because, to you ( plusnet) there is no "call waiting" time if the customer cannot contact on chat... ...
the customer is not getting a better experience, as they still are not in the queue, and the frustration will be even worse.....
once they get into the queue, the waiting time will still be reliant on how quickly the previous calls are dealt with...
not because of the number of people in the queue. ( now heavily reduced by the 5 minute rule )...
@LouisaMartin
as opposed to the unknown wait time they currently have when getting into the queue.
The actual time waiting on Chat, is not shown... but the position in the queue is (was) shown... which is infinitely better than not being able to get in the queue in the first place, because of this AutoRouting and 5 minute rule now being implemented.
@LouisaMartin
. As wait time will be significantly reduced, this will remove the need to simultaneously call us and improve the experience in chat, as well as calls.
Wait times will NOT be significantly reduced, because of this measure....
it will only "appear" to PlusNet, that because there are not so many people able to queue in Chat, that the waiting time is reduced .
I repeat... the only way that wait time will be significantly reduced, is to
1. reduce the number of repeated ( over the past 9 years) faults and complaints
2. put into place a proper "robust" training and career development program, for customer service staff.
3. ensure that the working environment, of the senior level customer service staff, recognise, and provide, good working conditions for all staff levels below them... ( this should ensure the retention of good staff)..
4. stop advertising for new customers, until the customer services infrastructure has been re designed to give proper level of service to the customers.
and finally....
@LouisaMartin
Customer service is always at the heart of what we and we have made this change to help you
Erm.... No... I think it is done more to help PlusNet, the measure implemented does nothing to help the customer experience, nor will it improve Customer Service..
. in fact... it will probably generate more complaints that customers are denied the use of Chat, due to it always showing "BUSY"...
@LouisaMartin
and ensure a more consistent experience, across whichever channel you choose.
Yes, I am sure you are correct in that last statement... it will be more consistenly bad,or worse ........ across whichever channel you choose.
