Flawed Customer Services (Part 3) - Single Point of Failure

In the previous two parts of this article the suppliers were shown to be wanting but their main problem was that they did not have sufficient and effective feedback in place to identify and resolve problems.
In this third and final example the supplier is relying on a procedure that has a serious and unnecessary 'single point of failure' risk.

Example 3 – Single Point of Failure

This final supplier offers customers a very clever application that converts between different media formats and offers a free trial that will allow the software to be fully tested before purchasing.

They market their product as a full suite and also in a number of 'lite' versions for customers who do not require all the bells and whistles. The product is sold in the region of $800 for the full version and $250 for the 'lite'.

For this supplier I purchased the 'lite' product on Christmas Eve as I required the software to complete a project that I needed to be finished by the New Year.

The order was confirmed online and a message displayed to inform me that an email would be sent to confirm the order and that it would contain download instructions, I was able to confirm that the email address that it would be sent to was correct.

No email was received confirming the order and containing download instructions so I logged onto the suppliers website and using the order detail menu options I was able to locate the order.

Mistake 1 – No backup

Although in this particular case the email entered was correct I noticed that within the ordering process there was no facility that would have allowed me to correct the email if it were wrong.

There was also no procedure to confirm that the email entered was typed correctly, this would normally done by requesting that the typed email be repeated.

There was no procedure to allow the customer to resend the confirmation and if the email were entered incorrectly, but by chance was a valid email address, it would be possible for an unauthorised third-party to receive the download instructions and validation key.

Even though there was a facility provided that allowed the customer to track the order through the website there was no procedure to allow the download to be initiated through logging onto the website.

Although there was the facility to download the full suite and then activate it using a software license key, this facility was not available for the 'lite' version.


Mistake 2 – Reliant on customer services

In this particular case the problem was made worse because the order was place on Christmas Eve and so contacting customer services meant waiting until their personnel returned from the Christmas holidays.

For problems such as being unable to download a product a backup procedure online would reduce the number of support queries requiring human attention.

Mistake 3 – No feedback

Ordering procedures that do not allow customers to give feedback are missing the opportunity to gain from the customer's experience and this supplier was another who did not have any official feedback channel.

Summary

The reliance of email notification without having any backup procedures fails to take into account that mail systems are becoming less reliable as a first contact often due to over zealous and multi-layered spam filters.

Not validating an address before sending sensitive information such as download instructions and access keys is very cavalier.

Having made the effort to allow an order to be tracked, it makes little sense not to include a download option along with the order details.


In Conclusion

This series of articles has showcased three companies that each had automated procurement procedures and had established a customer service methodology that on paper would appear to be effective.

In each case the manufacturers would have benefited from employing a simple 'catch all' customer satisfaction survey to allow them to check that their ordering procedures were quick and effective that in turn would have allowed them to improve their sales and/or reputations.

Experiencing problems is a fact of life, but for good customer services it is important to be able to catch problems and then learn from them in a manner that continually validates and challenges a businesses ordering and fulfilment systems.

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To view a number of other articles relating to customer services and customer satisfaction surveys please visit Survey Galaxy Knowledge Base.

Flawed Customer Services (Part 2) - Alienating the Customer

In part one of this three part article it was shown that a particular supplier failed to make a sale because they had made it unnecessarily complicated for a certain category of customers to locate the required information to purchase the product. Because they also failed to gather any feedback the flaws in their procurement procedures are likely to remain undetected and unresolved.
This second example does receive feedback but as you will see it is feedback that is going to the wrong person, if the 'problem' is also the customer services channel then problems can exist that are not apparent to the company.


Example 2 – Alienating the Customer

While in travelling in South Africa I found myself wanting to watch a DVD on my notebook computer but when I tried to access the DVD through Microsoft's Windows Media Player it displayed an error which advised me that I needed to purchase an add-on before I was able to access DVDs.

Windows Media player directed me to a list of suppliers and I chose one who greeted me with the marketing line, 'You are five minutes away from watching a DVD on your computer'.



Mistake 1 – No trial

Not providing any free trial for commodity applications is unusual as it benefits the manufacturer and the customer if the software can first be tested to ensure it works and meets the customer's expectations.

With a trial offer if there is any problem with the application potential customers do not generally mind if they have had the chance to try before they buy.

Mistake 2 – Un-documented and Unnecessary Restrictions

Because of the relatively low price of the product I completed the online order form and received an email order confirmation giving me a link for the download. I clicked on the link and my download accelerator kicked in that allows me to download files quicker by splitting the download file into smaller files and using simultaneous downloads.

After a few seconds the download failed and I found that I was unable to restart the download. I looked at the email confirmation and found instructions on how to log onto the suppliers website and check the progress of an order and in doing so I found a download button. Unfortunately when I clicked on the download button I received a message informing me that I had exceeded by download limit which was set at five and therefore was left with no option but to email the suppler for assistance.

I received an automated response to my email to notify me that my email query had been received and that they would deal with my enquiry using their first come first served support policy.

After several hours I received a response to my email informing me that they had reset the download count and then, as an aside, also notified me that their download procedure did not support download applications that allowed the download to be restarted and/or accelerated.

Turning off the download accelerator I was able to download the file without too many problems.

Download accelerators are common and allowing restarts only sensible as it reduces the download traffic where some unreliable connections are concerned. However, if there are restrictions that do apply, then not displaying what they are prior to the customer clicking on the download link is inviting support problems.

Mistake 3– Falling between Sales and Support

Once the download was complete I installed the software and when loading the DVD that I wanted to watch a DVD I was asked to register the product online which I did.

Once I had completed the online registration and created an account to allow me to receive technical support the application started and the application read the title and gave me the options to 'play', 'reset' or 'eject'.

I selected 'play', the screen went blank and then it returned to the same menu, no error message. No matter how many times I tried, even after restarting the computer I could not get past the 'play' option.

I visited the supplier's website and navigated to the support page and entered my account details but the password I entered was reported as being incorrect. After a few attempts I took the option to have my password sent to me again. A message came up to say that an email had been sent to verify the password and I was able to see from the displayed message that the verification email was being sent to the correct email address.

After several hours and multiple attempts at having the password re-sent no password confirmation email was received therefore preventing me from being able to register my problem using the proper technical support procedures.

Mistake 4 – Not understanding the Customers query

I sent an email explaining the initial problem with the download that I confirmed resolved and reported that I now had a problem with the software and was also unable to access the technical support page to report the technical problem.

After several hours I received an email reply that simply gave me instructions on how to download the software.

I replied pointing out that the problem was no longer with the download but with the software and also not being able to access the online technical support.

I then received an email confirming that I needed to register the product to get technical support.

I replied to say that I had registered the product, that the registration was confirmed because when I tried to log on to the support I was receiving a message to say that although it recognized my login ID the password was incorrect. I was able to request a password confirmation, that appeared to be being sending it to the correct address but I was not receiving the email. I confirmed to them that I was therefore unable to log on to technical support and register the problem.

Mistake 5 – Annoying the customer

I was naturally annoyed to receive a reply to say that they were unable to deal with technical support calls and that I needed to contact the technical support by telephone. A basic rule for good customer services is that you do not get the customer to do a company's internal communication.

In my reply to them I pointed out that the cost of the software was not worth the cost of the international phone call in trying to call a technical support line in the USA. I requested that they notify their own technical support team on my behalf or perhaps they might find it easier to offer me a refund.

Mistake 6 – Making the customer really annoyed

I received confirmation that they were unable to deal with technical queries and again listed the procedures for me to register the product to obtain technical support.

I took my time to reply and spell out clearly that they really needed to read what I had previously written and that we were now beyond the technical support stage and that we were now in the commercial decision stage where I would like then to agree, or advice otherwise, to a refund.

Mistake 7 – Loosing the customer

I finally received an email offering me a full refund and a partial apology for the problems. The refund was received once I had agreed to delete the downloaded software which I was more than happy to do.


Summary

By offering a full refund the supplier resolved the problem to my full satisfaction but made no attempt to fix any of the reported problems, either as to why I was unable to access the support area, why I was not receiving the password confirmation and why the software did not function properly.

Whatever personal criticism I might have with the people who were responding to my emails, there was no alternative channels open to me to contact the company's management so that I could alert them to my growing frustration.

When one customer experiences a problem it is often important and useful to understand the cause of the problem even if the final solution is to offer that customer a full refund. In this particular case there seemed an unnecessary demarcation, and no internal communication, between sales and support preventing customer's problems, that fall between both camps, to be addressed.

Requesting customer feedback that is then channelled through to management is not a new idea. Hotel and restaurants chains have for years often had feedback cards that are not handed in to the staff but posted directly to head office, ensuring that negative comments are not lost and positive comments genuine.

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To view a number of other articles relating to customer services and customer satisfaction surveys please visit Survey Galaxy Knowledge Base.

Flawed Customer Services (Part 1) - Not closing the sale

Ask most businesses to rate how important it is to them to have satisfied customers and few would say anything other than 'essential'.
From a company's own perspective their customer services procedures might appear to tick all the right boxes but what appears to be a good procedure can sometimes fall short when viewed from a customer, or perhaps more importantly a potential customer's perspective.

Some would argue that customer service has been in decline as the growth of automation and the need to minimise overheads has eroded the human side of customer service. There is no doubt that the type of personal one-on-one customer service that was so common throughout the USA and Europe in the 1950's is a relic of the past with technology steadily replacing people.

Some automated technologies have proved more successful than others, call centres, especially when they are situated in far flung countries, can come in for criticism that may or may not be fair. Although the economics make sense it is easy to see how customers can get frustrated when the technology and savings drivers are put above customer experience.

What can often be missing from many a customer service procedure is the canvassing of regular and effective customer feedback, not for the sake of ticking another box, but because a customer's real-life experience is possibly the most important metric available to any business, large or small.

This three part article was inspired after I recently experienced first-hand problems with three separate suppliers that resulted in them either loosing a sale and/or frustrating me, a potential customer.

What struck me was that all three had what appeared at first to be well established customer services procedures that would be able to handle my query and resolve any difficulties in an efficient and professional manner, yet all three failed and for different reasons.

Automation is not the enemy, but automation must be carefully thought through as being frustrated by a machine is universally despised.


Example One – Not closing the sale

This first supplier offers one of the most popular FTP applications and a thirty day fully functional risk free trial. Emails are sent to 'remind' the customer at about the halfway stage and then towards the end of the trial period to that has the effect of encouraging those that have not yet purchased the product to both fully test the application and hopefully make a decision to purchase the product.

However, for this US supplier I was working outside the USA and when after a successful trial I went to click on the link to purchase the product the price I was quoted was in US dollars.

The US dollar is a global currency, no, it IS the global currency and I, like many others, are not often put off, certainly when it comes to low value commodity items, if the currency is not our local currency but on this occasion there was a notice that stated, 'for international customers please click here'.


Mistake 1 – Planting doubt and causing hesitation

For anyone seeing the message from outside the USA it would naturally cause them to hesitate, which I did, thinking perhaps that I should just check that there might be benefits in purchasing the application locally.

On clicking on the option I was requested to select my country, which I did, and then I was provided with a list of perhaps a dozen or so local, but unfamiliar, suppliers.

Since none of the names were familiar and other than their address to go on I chose one, a choice based on nothing more than arbitrary reasoning.

Mistake 2 – Going backwards

When clicking on my chosen link I was taken not to the product page but the local supplier's website's home page and greeted not with information about the application I was interested in, but general information about the supplier who it turned out provided a number of software applications and IT services.

Because of the extensive range of services and products they provided it took me some time to first locate a general list of available applications, then to navigate to the correct section where I found a number of the FTP supplier's applications. From the list of five products I was finally able to select the FTP application that I was interested in.

Mistake 3 – No 'buy now' option

Having spent time locating the product I was to be disappointed further because there was no price, nor 'buy now' button, just another offer to download a 30 day free trial.

Because I had already trialled the software I was ready to purchase and I wanted to know the price.

Mistake 4 – Not making it simple

I decided to go back to the list of local suppliers and choose another name from the list but my experience was the same, I was faced with the problem of locating the application and this time I was not advised of the price but instead given an offer to request a quotation for what I knew to be a $40 commodity item.


Mistake 5 – Loosing the sale

It was at this point that I thought I would just go back to the original screen and purchase the product direct from US manufacturer as had been my first intention, but because I was feeling that I had been sent on a wild goose chase I then decided that I could actually do without the product and so cancelled my order.

Mistake 6 – Not learning

The final mistake that the manufacture makes is that where at the end of the trial period when I do not take up the option to purchase the product they make no effort to find out why.


Summary

This supplier has a good and popular product. They offer a 30 day free trial of the software that can be purchased online direct from the manufacture. By offering local suppliers they would be able to provide local support that some customers might prefer, or find essential.

In failing to get feedback, they are missing an opportunity to not only validate their procedures but maintain contact with potential customers who are perhaps undecided as to purchasing the product.

Simple and clear pricing is important, especially for a commodity item and although a free trial is commendable it still requires a commitment from the customer who will often want to know the cost of a product before they invest the time needed to test the product.

Their biggest mistake is that they do not integrate their own products tightly enough with their distributor's websites. If the manufacturer has potential customers that are being referred to a local supplier they are in a position to link directly to their products on the local supplier's website and should insist that the local supplier ensures that the pricing is clear and the order process is simple.

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To view a number of other articles relating to customer services and customer satisfaction surveys please visit Survey Galaxy Knowledge Base.

The Net Neutrality Debate

In August 2005 a decision was made by the US Federal Communications Commision to put the high-speed Internet Services Providers(ISPs) under the same regulation umbrella as phone companies. The ISPs interpreted the decision as permission to charge websites a premium for faster networks and also suggested that the more successful companies such as Microsoft, Yahoo and Google should contribute financially in improving the internet infrastucture.

However, opponents argue that a multi-tiered Internet would be against the fundamental principles of the Internet and stress the importance of maintaining a level playing field and are wary that with the wrong legislation the telecom companies could hold companies hostage, or have an unfair advantage over rival companies.

Some argue that there is already a tiered systems in place where people have access to the Internet via dial-up modem (slow) and high speed broadband connections that range in speed from 2MB to 16MB and beyond.

Although the telecom companies point at the more successful websites not paying their fair share, net neutrality supporters say it is the masses that are making use of the successful websites so penalising the larger successful companies would effectively penalise the masses.

For a short promotional video that explains in simple terms the essence of the pro Net Neutrality argument visit Save The Internet.

To see the views of those people that argue that Net Neutrality is a myth and that the proposed legislation rather than degrade will only improve the Internet please visit Debunking Net Neutrality Myths.

Who will get your vote?

Participate in this weeks open survey The Net Neutrality Debate

Gerald Ford, 38th US President - How will he be remembered?

Gerald Rudolph Ford the 38th President who served between 1974 and 1977 died on December 26, 2006.

Gerald Ford has been the only person to have been appointed to the US Vice Presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment when Nixon's Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned.

When Richard Nixon resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal on August 9, 1974 Ford became the only person to hold the Presidency without having been elected either President or Vice President.

Gerald Ford was to occupy the White House for just 896 days where although he sought re-election where he narrowly lost out to Jimmy Carter.

One of Ford's first act as President was to controversially pardon Richard Nixon, an act that some say lost him the next election.

With the resignation of their President, Ford assumed the role of President at a time when the US economy was in disarray, a worsening energy shortage and where there was great division throughout the country.

How do you view Ford's Presidency? Was he right to pardon Richard Nixon and do you think he pardoned Nixon after striking a deal with him prior to Nixon's resignation?

Participate in this weeks open survey Gerald Ford, 38th US President - How will he be remembered?

Survey Galaxy's - Tutorial Video Centre Updated

We are pleased to announce that all the Survey Galaxy tutorial videos have now been updated to reflect the websites latest look and feel.

All the training videos require Flash player which is often included as standard in most browsers but if necessary can also be downloaded free from Adobe.

A number of new tutorials have also been added that cover the online Results Analyzer facility.

For more information or to view the videos please visit the Video Centre.

How Much Do You Know About Santa Claus?

With Santa about to start his annual rounds soon we ask how much you think you know about Santa Claus?

Take our festive survey and tell us how old you think he is and where you think he gets his all money from?

Participate in this weeks open survey How Much Do You Know About Santa Claus?

The Best Ever Similes Written by High School Students?

From a short list of similes that have been compiled by American high school English teachers and taken from actual essays assignments we ask you to pick your favourite top three.

Participate in this weeks open survey The Best Ever Similes Written by High School Students?

Is Fiji's Military Coup a Bad Thing?

The South Pacific island of Fiji is now in the process of its fourth coup in twenty years.

Historically this tourist paradise has always experienced tension between the ethnic Fijian population who make up the majority and the minority Indian Fijians.

The man responsible for the latest coup, Fijian Military chief Frank Bainimarama, was himself responsible for putting down the last coup in 2000.

Since July 2005 he had publicly threatened that he would topple the government if it were to implement legislation that would pardon the jailed 2000 plotters.

The coup has been widely condemned around the world but there appears to be mixed views among the Fijians population. The Ethnic Indians who now make up roughly 40% show strong support for the commander who has insisted that his goal was to establish a government that stood for all citizens of Fiji.

Do you think that the coup should be Internationally condemned?

Do you think the world is interested in what happens in Fiji?

Should the UN intervene?

Participate in this weeks open survey Is Fiji's Military Coup a Bad Thing?

'One Laptop per Child' project debate

In November 2005 MIT's Nicholas Negroponte first showcased a prototype of a $100 robust laptop for the developing world’s children which was welcomed at the time by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as an "expression of global solidarity".

The 'One Laptop per Child' project has had its critics, some asking how anyone could build such a computer when the screens alone cost about $100, others questioning the value of computers to both learning and economic development.

A year later and about to launch, the cost of the finished product when the machines go into full-scale production by Taiwan-based Quanta Computer is likely to be nearer $150 than $100 but it is hoped that the $100 target will be achieved with volume if they prove successful.

Kofi Annan has said that with the laptops "Children will be able to learn by doing, not just through instruction - they will be able to open up new fronts for their education, particularly peer-to-peer learning," and that the initiative was "inspiring", and held the promise of special and economic development for children in developing countries.

Do you think that a low cost laptop for the developing world’s children represents worthwhile aid?

Do you think that the money spent on equipment would be better spent towards more teachers?

Do you agree with Bill Gates, Microsoft’s chairman and a leading philanthropist for the third world, when he has questioned whether the concept is right to “just taking what we do in the rich world” and assuming that that is something good for the developing world, too?

Where do you stand on the 'One Laptop per Child' debate?

Participate in this weeks open survey 'One Laptop per Child' project debate

(For more detailed information on the project please visit the One Laptop per Child website.)

Was Saddam Hussein's trial fair?

Iraq's Special Tribunal has found Saddam Hussein guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced him and two of his co-defendants to death by hanging for their part in the killing of 148 Shia Muslims in Dujail in 1982 after a failed assassination attempt against him.

Do you think Saddam Hussein received a fair trial?

Do you think the death sentence is appropriate?

Participate in this weeks open survey Was Saddam Hussein's trial fair?

All change on Capitol Hill - Time for a New Foreign Policy?

With the American mid-term elections now done and dusted and the democrats handed power of Capitol Hill there could be a change of US foreign policy from the Bush neoconservative approach that relies on the US military strength to one that is about building ties with other nations.

Is it time for a change in US foreign policy and do you think that the US security depends less on military might and more about finding agreement with other nations?

Participate in this weeks open survey All change on Capitol Hill - Time for a New Foreign Policy?

Madonna's child - Should the Ritchies be allowed to adopt?

Madonna's life has always provoked controversy and her reported planned, and Malawi Government approved, adoption of the now infamous 13 month old David Bandahas has created a new furore.

Has Madonna, and husband Guy Ritchie, used her celebrity to flout Malawi's adoption laws?

Has the boy's father been exploited?

Has a child from the developing world been turned into a commodity?

How cynical are you of the increasing number of celebrities that show their willingness to support and help Africa?

Participate in this weeks open survey Madonna's child - Should the Ritchies be allowed to adopt?

Does North Korea Pose a Threat to the World?

North Korea has made no secret that it is actively pursuing a programme of nuclear development.

On October 9th it announced that it had conducted its first test of nuclear explosion, a statement that no country to date disputes.

North Korea claims that its weapons are just for defence, but no-one outside the country can be certain how many it has, or if it really has any at all. Some view North Korea's claim to have nuclear weapons as an attempt to force the US into concessions.

The US are worried that North Korea might try to generate much-needed cash by selling nuclear secrets and weapons to terrorists or other nations hostile to the US.

Does North Korea represent a threat to the region, or the US?

Do the UN sanctions that have been placed on North Korea since October 14 represent an act of war?

Is North Korea just taking the opportunity to demand attention while the US are bogged down in Iraq?

Participate in this weeks open survey Does North Korea Pose a Threat to the World?

New Look and Feel to Survey Galaxy website

It has just been over a month now since we launched Survey Galaxy's new look and feel.

The majority of changes were to the Survey Galaxy Home page where we hope that new visitors will find all the information they require and navigation even easier.

In changing the rest of the site we have been careful to retain the Survey Galaxy simplicity and limited the changes to more relaxing colours and clearer navigation.

We hope new and old members will find the new layout to their liking but please feel free to give us your feedback as we always welcome constructive comments.

What are the Most Romantic Movies of all Time?

What romantic movie stands head and shoulders above the rest?

Were you moved by Titanic or do you hanker back to era of the black and white movie and all time classics such as Casablanca?

Which movie pairing had the most on screen chemistry, can Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet match the 40's pairing of Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart or Clark Gable and Joan Crawford from the 30's?

Participate in this weeks open survey What are the Most Romantic Movies of all Time?

Should Muslim Women Living in Western Societies Unveil?

The British Cabinet Minister Jack Straw, whose constituency has a large Muslim population, has provoked anger and indignation among broad sections of the Muslim community in calling for Islamic women to stop wearing the veil(niqab) covering their face.

Mr Straw says that the practise hindered community relations and was a visible statement of separation and of difference.

Mr Straw said that he had chosen his words carefully. "We are able to relate to people we don't know by reading their faces and if you can't see their faces, that provides some separation," and went on to say "Those people who do wear the veil should think about the implications for community relations."

Some of Mr Straw's supporters have added that this was an important issue that needed to be debated.

British Muslim leaders and fellow Labour MPs, have however pointed to a series of statements from ministers which they say have challenged attitudes towards multiculturalism.

Was Mr Straw right to bring the subject up for debate?

Should Muslim Women be encouraged to unveil themselves when they live in Western societies or do these comments only serve to demonstrate the lack of understanding and tolerance towards people with different faiths?

Participate in this weeks open survey Should Muslim Women Living in Western Societies Unveil?

How Superstitious Are You?

Are you in any way superstitious?

Do you believe old wives tales, omens and signs to indicate lucky or unlucky things ahead?

Would you wish on a shooting star or knock on wood after mentioning good fortune?

Participate in this weeks free survey How Superstitious Are You?

Did the Pope make a good point or a faux-paux?

In a controversial speech the head of the Catholic church Pope Benedict XVI was widely condemned for quoting a 700-year-old exchange between a medieval Byzantine emperor and a learned Islamic scholar "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached".

Did the Pope agree with this view or was the point he was trying to make valid but lost in 'headline' sound bites?

Can the head of a faith that has through the ages had hideous crimes carried out in its own name be in a position to judge other faiths? Can the Islam faith be self critical?

Participate in this weeks free survey Did the Pope make a good point or a faux-paux?

What are the most important things in life?

What are the most and least important things in life?

Select from our short list the five that you think the most and least important.

Participate in this weeks free survey What are the most and least important things in life?