Customer Service Frustration: Is There Anything Else I Can Help You With?

Busy Mom writes of being abruptly abandoned into the ozone by her internet connection and her frustration with the customer service person who, although robotic, is certainly not bionic.  You can relive the entire delightful conversation here, but one point especially catches my eye.  After an extended satisfaction-free and resolution-free Catch-22ish conversation with Unhelpful Customer Service Lady, comes this:

"Me: "So, you're telling me that in order for you to do anything at all for me I have to not only pay you to come install my wireless network, I must also rent a router from you at an additional monthly charge?"

Comcastic employee: "Yes."

Me: "You're serious, aren't you?"

Comcastic employee: "Yes."

Me: "I'm flabbergasted."

Comcastic employee: "What?'

Me: "Nevermind."

Comcastic employee:"Is there anything else I can help you with today?""

Did everyone catch that last sentence?  Go back and read it if you need to.  I'll wait.

:: brief musical interlude ::

Everyone back?  Good.

Raise your hand if you've never had this experience.  Nobody?  Of course.  The laws of nature demand that any interaction with a customer service representative who has not solved your problem must conclude with the pleasant yet insincere inquiry: "Is there anything else I can help you with today?"  If you're really ticked off you can run them in a continuous circle by responding: "How can you help me with anything else if you haven't been able to solve my original problem?"  It's fun -- try it.  It's like watching a dog chase its tail but more fun because, presumably, you like the dog.

But this brings me to an issue that's been on my mind lately.  For the first time, my web site, FeeFiFoto, is bringing in a 24-hour answering service to field customer service calls during the Christmas season.  Up until now, customer service inquiries had to be submitted by email or through the endless loop of voice mail, with no hope of rescue by a receptionist or corporate directory.  Customers would leave messages and worry about whether any real person would ever get back in touch.  Many of our customers are insomniac shoppers, and hearing a real person on the other end of the phone would be comforting for them.  Starting next week, Time Communications will be answering our phones, and we've been working on a script in preparation for going live.  But that final question has stumped me: what should they say at the end of the  conversation if the problem hasn't been solved?  So far I haven't been able to improve on the decidedly lame "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Any suggestions?

Comments

[MomOnTheGo]

How about: I'm sorry that I wasn't able to help you with this situation. Did you have another issue that you wanted to discuss today.

[FeeFiFoto]

THAT'S PERFECT!! Thanks so much. is there a story behind this stroke of brilliance?