Outbound Phone Support for Complex Issues

[7789849803]

Given how some problems require troubleshooting on a few different levels (device settings, self-serve configuration, backend/technical issues, among other things), I think PM Support would save a lot of productive time (and a lot of disgruntled customers) if it started calling customers on their main or alternate phone numbers (provided during sign up) to solve the problems in one shot.

Back and forth emails often create confusion among PM support staff and take significantly longer to resolve complex issues.

Just to clarify: I'm not asking for a 611 type inbound support centre, but just an outbound support process for a very small percentage of complex problems that take a disproportionate amount of effort to resolve.

And the main argument is actually to save PM's precious personnel resource so they can continue to offer low prices on their rate plans.

[Gregg]

I do agree anyway to have a quick chat would make it much less frustrating and more productive.

[aguyfromontario]

http://www.webhostingreviewslist.com/development/11-free-chat-resources-for-your-website/ Is a list of sites that PM could use to host!

[7789849803]

Chats are never quick for complex issues involving a history of events and needing a lot of information to be collected from the customer in order to diagnose and solve the problem.

Plus, there's no way Public Mobile has the resources for employing an army of personnel to respond to customers by chat all day long (and if they don't employ an army, you'll be complaining about waiting 10 minutes to get a simple one-liner in response on chat). Unless you want them to jack up their rates by 3 times to pay for the additional employees. In which case, you're free to create that as a separate idea 🙂

[atwab]

I think that outbound calling to provide support is not a bad idea. I gave you a bravo!


The only issue is with the training of the PM employee to be able to narrow down the issue to the root cause and proceed... The questions on the email support form are actually great, but it would seem from my limited experience with obtaining support from PM direct, that they are not even reading all the information that you type into the boxes.

Why have the questions if the employee just ignores the answers, and then asks you the same thing over and over again in the email....

I have a hunch that they are paid piecework, probably at home contractors, and they don’t benefit from resolving the issue in one or two emails... I’ve been emailing back and forth for 2 days and were still at “Hello”

[Gregg]

I have a technical background and I find it difficult to understand why it would be so hard to train staff well enough to make CHAT possible. If it is a complex issue then it can always be deferred to the next level support. At least you would feel that your response is being addressed in a reasonable time frame.

[7789849803]

As explained in my previous comments, chat is VERY resource-intensive when it comes to personnel time. One rep could resolve 4 chats in roughly the same time that 15 emails could be responded to (regardless of time spent researching and resolving the issue at hand). In addition, chat requires real-time availability of reps, which means staffing levels need to stay high. Email allows more elasticity with staffing levels during varying volumes of support requests. Those of us who work in the Customer Service industry or have worked with chat in a professional capacity will know all these facts to be true.

[BAL]

As a new PM customer, I agree completely. I am amazed the work that the agents have to do because the processes (completing forms, problems to sign up as a customer, etc.) are flawed and bugged. 

I had to rely on them for many problems. Don't misunderstand me, I think that they make a really great work that I appreciate. But if the different processes where well thought and clean of bugs, the agents would have more time to fix more serious problems rather than fixing bugs and offering work arounds.

[kutzki]

@BAL this... This is so true. I agree with that statement 300%. Lol idk... For some reason they really don't have the resources to work more efficiently. Telus be slacking. Hehe

[Igor_M]

Hey @7789849803,

Thanks for your idea! Outbound phone support unfortunately does not align with our business objective of keeping costs low and passing the savings on to you, our customers.

We are, however, exploring other options for addressing complex issues live with a support agent. Ideas of how to achieve this are welcome!

[7789849803]

@Igor_M I work in the industry, and am actually an expert on this topic. I can say with authority that your personnel costs per ticket will go down from what they are now, with outbound phone support being provided to handle complex issues. These savings will be achieved mainly through quicker data gathering before research, leading ultimately to quicker resolution.

With online support being provided, your support costs would only stand to rise from what they are now, and will likely also lead to a worse customer experience.

I've switched 2 of my previous clients from a chat-support to an email (with limited outbound phone support) model, with great results. I'd be happy to share a white paper on this very topic with Public Mobile for a fee.