I can’t count the number of times that frustrated customers have told us how much they hate the hoops they have to jump through to access customer support they’ve paid for. Just when they need help the most is precisely when it’s hard to come by. Customers are required to enter a contract number or user ID they don’t have handy. Or they haven’t purchased the 24x7 “platinum” service; only the 5-day “gold” service. Or the person on the phone can’t match their identity to their ownership of the product for which they need help. Or the help they need isn’t technical in nature; it has to do with a subscription that expired (when the customer didn’t even know they HAD a subscription), so they have to call or be routed to a different number. Or the person they reach can’t really solve the problem. He asks a lot of basic questions and offers canned answers—what a waste of time! Or the subject matter expert isn’t available in a timely fashion.
Yet, getting access to someone who can solve a difficult and urgent problem is a great relief and it’s a relationship-building moment. Most customers are even happy to pay for premium service on demand, just to get an urgent problem solved.
Why Not Offer Flexible Just-in-Time Service Contracts?
So why do companies continue to insist on selling basic service, gold service, and platinum service contracts? Why not sell a basic service contract and let customers up-sell themselves when and if they need more? Sure, the higher- service-level contracts let providers plan ahead for manpower and supplies to be where they’re most likely to be needed by the people who are willing to pay for a guaranteed service level. But, for others who don’t think they’re going to run into problems and then do, why not let them pay a premium at the time they request service, or even to upgrade at that point to a higher service level?
Let Customers Pay for Service When They Need It Most
Years ago, I needed help with a glitch I was experiencing with a Microsoft Office product. After searching on Microsoft.com and other self-help sites, I discovered that I could open a case with Microsoft and get resolution of my problem by providing my credit card for this one incident or for the next five incidents I might have. I was really pleased to be able to have this option. It meant that I could upgrade myself on the fly to a “premium” status, even though I was a lesser mortal in a small company.
In fact, why not use technology’s ability to adjust pricing on the fly based on the customer’s perception of the severity of the problem they have and the urgency with which they need it fixed? If bicycle-sharing networks can adjust the pricing in real time for renting or dropping off a bike based on where bikes are needed most and where people want to go the most, then surely most companies of any size could let service prices fluctuate based on supply and demand as well?
If you want some pragmatic advice about what to do and what not to do when customers have an urgent problem, read Ronni Marshak’s Tips:
I Need Help Now!Do’s and Don’t for Communicating with Customers via Email
By Ronni T. Marshak, Sr. VP and Sr. Consultant, July 15, 2010
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