So, last night I wanted to cancel our TiVo service since we'd recently changed to a Comcast DVR box so we could watch Hi Def TV and record more than one show at once (we had a really old TiVo box that wouldn't allow us to do those things). We didn't want to spend $300 on a new TiVo box when Comcast gives theirs for free. Too bad really, because I love my TiVo. I found it easy to use, intuitive and reliable. I also loved the little noises it made when you selected a show. I find myself making the noise myself when I use our Comcast box now. So sad.
Here's the time line of what happened:
4:15 I look at the TiVo site to find out how to cancel. Realize that you have to call customer support.
4:17 I call customer support and am confronted with a phone tree that does not offer the choice to cancel or just speak to a representative. I am then asked for the phone number associated with the account. I press zero, zero, zero, zero, and finally am placed in queue to speak with an agent. The wait time: 10 minutes.
4:18 I hang up. I don't want to wait 10 minutes!
4:19 I look on TiVo's site again to try and find out if I can cancel over email. I find out they don't offer email support of any kind. Bummer!
4:20 I call back again this time armed with my phone number on the account and a steely reserve. Confront irrelevant phone tree again and am placed in queue. Average wait time still 10 minutes.
4:20-4:30 Surf Google News, Pink is the New Blog, New feeds on my Reader, play with cat. Have to put the phone down on my lap to avoid brash, cheery music emanating from TiVo support.
4:31 Speak with the first agent. She's very nice, but cannot cancel my account for me. She gives me a "Case number" and transfers me to another person.
4:31-4:35 Wait on hold again and am still confronted by horrendous circus music.
4:35 New agent picks up and does not know: my name, or what my problem is. References my "Case number" and understands that I would like to cancel. The hard sell begins.
4:35-4:38 The hard sell continues. She offers various things to keep me to stay: $100 off a new Hi Def TiVo box for existing customers only. Perhaps we have another TV in our house that we'd like to use the box for...Perhaps our friend who has the box would like a few free months of subscription. Etc Etc. I am now beginning to lose patience.
4:38-4:43 Am put on hold again so she can "Process my request". Awful circus music and advertising comes on again, forcing me to remove the phone from my ear. Ouch!
4:44 Experience finally over. Whew! Am late for meeting a friend.
As someone who has worked in client services for the last 5 years, managing high-end clients directly, developing trainings, coaching and eventually managing a client services team, I was offended by the lack of concern for the customer in this case.
Based on my experience as a customer, I would suggest to the TiVo Support team a few things:
-Give the customer choices to contact you! As a customer, I would like to choose whether I get support via email, phone or live chat. Offer us other options, rather than forcing the customer to call and have a long wait in queue.
-Answer the phone more quickly. Customers get agitated while waiting and are less happy when the agent ultimately deals with them. Hire more people or change the call routing to get customer's questions answered more quickly. We'll be happier, the customer support team will be happier, and everyone wins!
-Avoid irrelevant phone trees. Nuff Said.
-Change the hold music. Ack! It's loud, brash, and actually hurt my ear. Plus, it aggravated me further. Go with music that is less "trying to be hip" and is soothing instead.
-Get rid of the "Case number" system. No customer wants to be treated like a case. We're people, and just want a resolution. It also seems that this case number is ultimately useless.
-Avoid routing customers multiple times. This goes again with the suggestion regarding call routing. Get the customer immediately to an agent who can help them with their problem the first time. Give your employees more trainings or information so they can help any caller with almost any problem. In our department this was the case and we supported a highly intricate product. It can be done and is a much better experience for the customer!
-If you do route a customer, do a "warm transfer." Transfer the customer to the next agent and give an introduction, it helps create warm fuzzy feelings.
-Invest in good Customer Relationship Management software that can help fill the next agent in on the issue if you need to transfer. I would have liked to have been greeted by name and with an understanding of my issue.
-Give agents more leverage to resolve issues without consulting another person or going through a difficult and lengthy process. It should be relatively simple to cancel an account and should be quick and painless. As a customer, it makes me want to return more.
-Don't incent agents to keep customers: This is a difficult line. Clearly, as a business, you want to keep the customers you have. It's easier and cheaper to keep existing customers rather than find new ones. However, as a customer, I do not want a hard sell. I completely agree with the need to figure out why the customer is canceling and offering them product suggestions or offers to help retain them. However, there is a line at which it becomes uncomfortable. I hit that when she suggested that we may want a new TiVo box for another TV in our house.
What a bummer of an experience! I really liked my TiVo, and preferred it to our current Comcast DVR, but felt deflated and aggravated by my customer support experience. It can be better!
Do you remember this? Will was Hank Petchow, advertising the Petchow brand of rat poison. Scenes showed him in a fuzzy, earthy sweater talking about how to use Petchow rat poison while feeding his dogs. The whole transcript is here: http://snltranscripts.jt.org/95/95mpetchow.phtml ( I could only find crappy versions of the footage itself.)
