News » y situation to an auto responder? I can

happened to me recently and I don't doubt that it's happened to you. You tell me if this sounds familiar . . .


I send an email to customer service of XYZ Company. I need an answer to my question and I think it's rather urgent. I get an automated response in return Cheap Javier Pastore Jersey , telling me basically to wait until they get to me.


So I go back to the website and after twenty-five minutes of searching, I FINALLY find a contact phone number. I call the number.


After punching numbers into the phone and going through quite a lengthy menu, I'm told to follow another menu where I have to punch in my first name, last name, account number and phone number. This sends me strait to a voice mail where I have to leave my message and WAIT for someone to contact me concerning my problem.


Those of you who know me Cheap Hatem Ben Arfa Jersey , have an idea of just how far off my head my hair was standing. After purchasing something, receiving something else and trying to get it rectified I went from slightly irritated, to impatient, to ANGRY, to livid. Oh yes! The color of my skin changed all kinds of color that day. My time is money and between the email Cheap Grzegorz Krychowiak Jersey , reply, the search for the contact number and phone labyrinth I went through, I wasted 38 minutes. It was RUDE! I was irate and what came to mind were all the ?automated? internet web sites and businesses online. (Yes, this was a purchase made online.)


Whatever happened to customer service??? Did doing business on the internet suddenly negate the necessity of customer satisfaction, common courtesy Cheap Goncalo Guedes Jersey , people skills? Can I reason with an answering machine? No!


Can I explain the urgency of my situation to an auto responder? I can try, but I doubt I'll get a response, other than the one that was written into it three months ago.


I am in business, but I don't work for myself and I never catered to the illusion that I worked for myself, because I don't.


I work for my customers! I have three ways for them to contact me on my web site. I give them a phone number Cheap Giovani Lo Celso Jersey , a contact form that sends DIRECTLY to my email (no support tickets), and I have a forum I can monitor while I'm working online. I also have a cell phone if it's urgent.


Automation, believe it or not, was a concept originally conceived for the convenience of the CUSTOMER, not the business. At least that has always been my understanding.


Just as I was calming down Cheap Edinson Cavani Jersey , the Rolling Stones song, ?Satisfaction? comes on the radio. I go back to work at my computer as the experience put things into perspective for me. I consult and train affiliate marketers on web site promotion. If there is one thing I see a lot of, it's the web sites promoting things like ??Let me teach you how to get paid for doing nothing?, or ?Rake in Cash Working only 15 Minutes a Day? . . . or ?Build an Internet Business . . . No taking Orders, No Phone Calls Cheap Dani Alves Jersey , No Emails . . . Everything Automated?.


People, I see the trend squelching human contact getting worse before it gets better. Don't be a ?Grab Your Profit and Run? site. Be automated on the front end only. By this, I mean attract your customers with the convenience of online ordering, receipt delivery and instant access (if you are a membership site) or download. However, when it comes to customer support and service . . . keep it personal. This is how your business is going to stand out. This is why your customers will send more people to you and this how you will retain those customers.


I cannot express with the right words Cheap Christopher Nkunku Jersey , how important your relationship to your customer is. Don't treat them like they were yesterday's purchase and they are no longer important. Yes, they are STILL a customer even after they made the