The Customer Service Survey
VocaLabs' weblog providing news and commentary on the challenges of providing good customer service.
Have we written enough about AOL lately?
Thursday - August 03, 2006 12:30 PM in
It feels like we've been writing about AOL all the time the past few weeks, but I couldn't resist passing this along: Further Confessions of AOL Retainers.
The reason I couldn't help myself is because we've been saying for yearsthat customer service agents will basically do whatever you pay them to do. If you give them a bonus to get the average call time down, then they will get the average call time down...even if it means hanging up on customers.
Don't believe me? Check out what the anonymous former AOL employee wrote:
Posted by Peter Leppik
Don't believe me? Check out what the anonymous former AOL employee wrote:
The last month at AOL, I knew I was leaving and had reached such a point of indifference and intolerance for my job, I began hanging up on customers that sounded like problems. Actually, I would hang up if I were just tired of listening. The totally unintended consequence of this negative customer service was an incredible call time. To my unspeakable surprise, my coach (Yes, they are called coaches) notified me I had won Most Valuable Consultant of the month for having the lowest call time. That was difficult to accept with a straight face.
Posted by Peter Leppik
Posted at 12:30 PM by | | | |