What Happened to Good Old Fashioned "Customer Service"?

Maybe most of you out there are not old enough to remember when you needed a live Operator to process your telephone call but I do.  So, I thought it was great when we were finally able to just dial the number on our rotary style phone and get to the person you wish to speak to.  For personal calls, that was great!

Then, who ever it was that invented the Automated System..........Ugh....I do believe the intentions were good.  But why has not some brilliant person realized that it does not save time nor does it deliver "Good" Customer Service and did I mention so frustrating!  You have all experienced it.

I understand that a larger business may warrant it and for a smaller business, hiring a receptionist to answer the phones will enhance their image immensely. Customers love to be greeted by a person who can answer their questions or direct them to someone who can without pressing one for this and two for that..........then being outsourced is the worst of all. 

Yes, I do take offense to being Outsourced to a person who cannot speak English ...that is number one..............number two:  poorly trained and number three:  Americans in my country lost their jobs.  Yes, I object to Outsourcing Jobs.  Who has all this time to waste being on the phone trying to take care of business with maybe your telephone company, cell company, computer problems,  a banking issue, insurance questions, etc.  When a 5 minute call turns into a 45 minute waste of time with pressing buttons, being put on hold, getting disconnected.........then starting all over again.

For small companies..........a live person is definitely necessary.  Good Customer Service is the bread and butter of your business.  It's all about bringing your customers back and also sending them away happy........happy enough to pass the positive experience about your business along to others.  But the large corporations don't care...they will keep their annoying automated system.  I do hope some day, a bright young individual will make a fortune inventing a better way and rid us of the annoying automated system.  There has to be a better way.  I think more people should complain about the annoying automated system and these large companies may pay attention.

I recently felt bad about how I was treated in a Customer Service related issue and I told my friends about it and also mentioned it again in a high trafficked, gossipy place like my "Beauty Salon".....that spreads the word around real quick!

If people value their business, they will want their customers to be repeat customers....what is the old saying "word of mouth is the best form of advertising".  So true!

The one thing I have learned is I get back a faster response by emailing instead of calling on the phone.  This recent time that I emailed about a very important issue, I got back three phone calls per my request because my blood pressure could not handle the damn automated system over and over.  So, I'm passing this along to you....always look on the bottom of the page for the words "Contact Us".  Then send in your complaint or your pleasure of Kudos to a certain individual.  Request a phone call back if you are really upset.  Trust me, they will call back.  This is the world of technology and there is always someone sitting on the other end on a computer that is for sure!

How many people do you think I have told this story to? 

P.S.  Oh how I wish I could get my animations to work and move within the text section of this Journal!!!!  They move great within my regular emails and it is still AOL...........?????  Most of these are in Gif form.  On the side bar I was able to place some moving pictures but only by placing the codes in the side bar.  Oh my....all this new stuff I have to learn but I'm having fun.