Feedback on Telephone Support - 1 hour wait

[#1]

Quote

but with your passion to improve PlusNet I am surprised that you have not been passionate enough to advise those in "the right place",... that queuing system is a way forward, instead of giving up and saying..

How do you know I haven't done this? FYI I have wanted us to be able to give accurate queuing times to customers.

[#2]

@Shutter
Whilst dialogue is important and a better call management system is desirable, preventing the necessity for users to phone in would be more productive approach.  Talking of which, may be we should not be distracting Chris from fixing other's issues?
Cheers,
Kevin

[#3]

How about a simple solution that might relieve some of the customer frustration and still fits Chris's being in the right queue requirement.
You leave the system how it is, so the customer phones up, presses the necessary buttons to get to the right department, at that point the phone system should say -
"You are 57th in the queue, your call will be answered in approximately 114 minutes, if you would like us to call back please press ONE"
If the customer requests a call back, then the position in the queue is maintained, but when that customers turn arrives then Plusnet phone back.

In my opinion, much of customers anger in using the Plusnet phone system is the utter waste of time and stress of standing holding the phone while at the same time being on constant tenterhooks expecting the call to be answered any second now - even after waiting an hour.

This scenario even satisfies 'shutter's requirements, as he can still press "3 for I really like listening to silly adverts" 

[#4]

Quote from: purleigh

This scenario even satisfies 'shutter's requirements, as he can still press "3 for I really like listening to silly adverts"

I really like that suggested option 

[#5]

Quote from: purleigh

You leave the system how it is, so the customer phones up, presses the necessary buttons to get to the right department, at that point the phone system should say - "You are 57th in the queue, your call will be answered in approximately 114 minutes, if you would like us to call back please press ONE" If the customer requests a call back, then the position in the queue is maintained, but when that customers turn arrives then Plusnet phone back.

I would like to be the second person to second this suggestion.  It should apply whenever the customer is in a queue (even though you hope waiting times will reduce when the new agents come on-stream).

[#6]

Ringing someone back takes longer as the agent has to wait for the person to answer so it should be used only when things are bad.
I'd suggest it is a feature that should be turned on just when the queues were longer than say 15 minutes.

[#7]

Not sure if it's mentioned here, but a good system is one used by Scottish Power.
You phone up and there is a long queue. They then give you the option of keeping your queue position but calling you back when you reach the front of the queue. The other option is you can hold.
Edit: I should add they do tell you a rough time period they will call you back.

[#8]

Quote from: jelv

Ringing someone back takes longer as the agent has to wait for the person to answer

Not necessarily,  if the system was intelligent enough,  the automated answering machine could phone the customer back when they reach the head of the queue, and a recorded message could say -
"This is Plusnet support, your telephone enquiry will be answered next, please hold the line, we will be with you very soon"

[#9]

Quote from: purleigh

How about a simple solution that might relieve some of the customer frustration and still fits Chris's being in the right queue requirement. You leave the system how it is, so the customer phones up, presses the necessary buttons to get to the right department, at that point the phone system should say - "You are 57th in the queue, your call will be answered in approximately 114 minutes, if you would like us to call back please press ONE" If the customer requests a call back, then the position in the queue is maintained, but when that customers turn arrives then Plusnet phone back. In my opinion, much of customers anger in using the Plusnet phone system is the utter waste of time and stress of standing holding the phone while at the same time being on constant tenterhooks expecting the call to be answered any second now - even after waiting an hour. This scenario even satisfies 'shutter's requirements, as he can still press "3 for I really like listening to silly adverts"

Erm..... I think that is what my original post in 2009..... and subsequent arguments/discussions during the past 4 years has been all about ... is it not?
Your  penultimate  sentence is summed up in my recent previous posts with two words..... " fear factor "...
Is it really possible? to press 3 and listen to the silly adverts?????    

[#10]

Quote from: Chris

Quote but with your passion to improve PlusNet I am surprised that you have not been passionate enough to advise those in "the right place",... that queuing system is a way forward, instead of giving up and saying.. How do you know I haven't done this? FYI I have wanted us to be able to give accurate queuing times to customers.

clever editing of my post,...... you missed off the part..... " Unfortunately after 3/4 years of talking to you about this it's obvious to me that's not going to happen." which shows that you have given up .... regardless of  how many times you have "tried".. ( sure, I don`t know how many times... but judging from the language used in your responses, over the past 4 years.. does not give me any indication that you are agreeing that a proper queueing system is a necessity, and you are  fighting to get it installed.). in fact, the complete opposite has been nearer the point....preferring to keep and advocate the present system for various (technical??) and other reasons.....