Talking mainly about companies that (e.g.) hide their contact email addresses. Where the "Contact Us" page takes you to a FAQ, normally with links that send you off on a wild goose chase, and ultimately don't let you contact them at all*.
When you have to Google an email address because it just isn't available on their website.
When they only offer a contact telephone number. And if you phone it there's always "high demand" and an estimated wait time of an hour or more. Looking at you, British Gas.
When they offer an "Online adviser" service, but it doesn't actually work... or is only staffed from 12 to 12:10 on the third Monday of a leap year.
I know it's all about cost-cutting. And making sure that customers only speak to expensive support personnel if they're thinking of leaving for another provider (for anything else you're wasting their time).
But it's an awful, modern practice that more and more companies have adopted. Hide from your customers and just shove them at some useless FAQ. If it was as hard to pay the bills as it is to speak to a CSA to get something fixed, they'd soon change that...
*And to add insult to injury these FAQs always have this incredibly annoying question, "Did this answer your question?" It never bloody does
Because none of the FAQs ever have a section called, "Are we providing a ****ty service, and do you need us to fix it? Click here to kick us up the ass."
When you have to Google an email address because it just isn't available on their website.
When they only offer a contact telephone number. And if you phone it there's always "high demand" and an estimated wait time of an hour or more. Looking at you, British Gas.
When they offer an "Online adviser" service, but it doesn't actually work... or is only staffed from 12 to 12:10 on the third Monday of a leap year.
I know it's all about cost-cutting. And making sure that customers only speak to expensive support personnel if they're thinking of leaving for another provider (for anything else you're wasting their time).
But it's an awful, modern practice that more and more companies have adopted. Hide from your customers and just shove them at some useless FAQ. If it was as hard to pay the bills as it is to speak to a CSA to get something fixed, they'd soon change that...
*And to add insult to injury these FAQs always have this incredibly annoying question, "Did this answer your question?" It never bloody does
Because none of the FAQs ever have a section called, "Are we providing a ****ty service, and do you need us to fix it? Click here to kick us up the ass."
But that's at least partly because I have looked at FAQs/I know my query won't be answered, so I just want to get in touch with someone. I guess not everyone is like that!
At least you can understand pigeon Ingrish
