The article, written by customer service expert Shep Hyken, discusses common pitfalls in customer service and customer experience, referred to as "farces." These include misleading statements such as "Your call is very important to us," unacknowledged feedback requests, AI-driven 24/7 support that lacks transparency, restrictive money-back guarantees, and free trials that automatically convert to paid subscriptions. Hyken emphasizes that these practices can lead to customer dissatisfaction and advises companies to avoid such farces by being transparent and honest in their customer service offerings.
Hyken encourages businesses to evaluate their own practices by discussing these farces with their teams and brainstorming ways to improve. The goal is to replace farcical experiences with positive forces that enhance customer satisfaction. He concludes with a nod to the "Star Wars" franchise, urging companies to let the "Force" be with them in their customer service efforts.
Key takeaways:
Customers often experience farces in customer service, such as insincere promises and misleading statements.
Common customer service farces include unresponsive support, ignored feedback, misleading 24/7 support claims, restrictive money-back guarantees, and deceptive free trials.
Companies should strive to provide genuine and transparent customer service experiences, avoiding farces and focusing on positive forces.
Businesses are encouraged to evaluate their practices to ensure they are not guilty of these customer service farces.
