When it comes to customer service, automated technology can take care of a lot of the day-to-day work (the boring stuff) but it cannot replace you. I recently had an experience that confirms it:
I was all set to drive 300 miles to visit my sister for the holiday. After a (very) late start, we were rolling at 80-ish down the turnpike. About 70 miles away from home, the car started beeping at me. Loudly. When I looked at the dashboard, the warning message said: “SAFELY PULL OVER. DO NOT DRIVE.” I never saw anything like it before. A bit like "pull over before your care blows up!" Like Armageddon. There was nothing around, so holding my breath, I got in the right lane and drove on, looking for an exit.
As I passed each mile marker, the beeping seemed to grow louder. After what seemed like 50 miles (but was probably 5), we made it to an exit and pulled into the very first parking lot. I called the auto club. It was answered quickly – by the automated system. Of course. It was confusing and scary at a time I was already confused and scared. It didn’t make me feel better.
So I waited a short time for a live representative. And I got my reassurance. She was kindness itself. She sent a tow truck and gave options to get my car serviced. The tow truck was there almost immediately. And that guy was amazingly cheerful. He got us to the dealership where I spoke to the most pleasant service advisor I have ever encountered. Especially because I was a bit snippy with him. He totally ignored my bad behavior and kindly offered us a shuttle ride home.
The result of that whole ordeal was a low battery, which was still under warranty from the auto parts store where we purchased it. In the end, it was a lot of drama for a rather pedestrian problem. But it could have been worse. And I’m grateful for the live customer service professionals who helped that day. hashtag#customerexperience hashtag#customerservice
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