I've got a great story on how great customer management systems can't save other bad business practices. Read on:
Disclaimer: I'm still a little angry about this one but I do have a point at the end.
***Rant Alert***
I got an XM satellite radio for my car as a gift back in January. After installing it in my car, I thought it was wonderful.
About a week ago, my radio broke. After trying for a few days and deciding it really was broken, I called XM's customer support line. After 20 minutes, I got my first human. I spoke with her for about 5 minutes until she agreed the radio was broken. She then needed to transfer me to someone else to get me a replacement.
5 more minutes on hold.
New guy picks up (in the Cancellation department, haha). He takes about 10 minutes to explain to me that they can replace my radio with the same one. But they're out of stock. He has no idea when it'll be in. But there's a different model that uses the same base as my current model/accessories. Pause. Out of stock.
Well, for $49 plus tax and shipping I can get a different model. But it won't work with my current installation and accessories. And it's $49. Oh, I didn't understand, they would replace my current broken radio (that is only 2 months old) for $29 plus tax and shipping.
Did I think this was a warranty issue? Well I'll just need to call the manufacturer. Yes, they understand the radio says XM and the box says XM and the service is XM. But they can't do a warranty replacement.
I called the manufacturer (Audiovox, by the way). They only dealt with warranty issues during standard business hours--9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
I called XM back to just cancel the service since I saw no sense in paying to replace a radio with a warranty issue. I hadn't paid for the radio in the first place, so no loss for me. After 10 minutes, I reached a human in the Cancellation department (again). After briefly explaining my issue and asking to cancel my service, the woman offered me two months of service for free. I didn't see the point in getting free service for a non-working radio and declined. She upped it to three free months of service and explained that even if it took a month to get the radio replaced, I'd still have two months of free service. That logic worked for me and I accepted, vowing to take the warranty issue to Audiovox on my next free day...
By the way, I understand XM didn't make my radio but I simply assumed they would handle problems with it. Similar to cell phone providers--mine phone is made by Sanyo but has very limited functionality and usefulness without Sprint's service. Similarly, my Audiovox XM radio doesn't do much if I don't have an XM subscription. When my phone is broken, I call Sprint; I thought the same applied with XM.
***End of Rant***
After my experience with XM, I remembered hearing how XM and Sirius weren't doing well financially because they were having difficulties retaining subscribers. They were doing very well reaching new subscribers through offers of free service with radio purchases or with new car purchases after working deals with car manufacturers. However, after the new subscribers trial periods ended, people weren't signing up for extended service. I found one (admittedly old) article in a quick Google search that described XM's financial difficulties last summer.
I couldn't find much newer information on XM's difficulties and they may have solved this issue but wondered if their customer support system shared any of the blame. I think great things about XM's actual radio service and had become someone who turned up his nose at pedestrian "terrestrial" radio... until I had a problem. When I called, XM's CRM system and caller ID correctly identified me and provided that information to the first human I spoke with. She was able to tell me my billing address, cell phone number, the last four digits of my billing credit card and how long I'd been a subscriber. I was a little unnerved by her quick access and recitation of that information but glad I didn't have to provide it all to her after submitting it online when I joined XM. That made my initial contact very easy. But even with that wealth of information, XM wasn't able to provide basic support for an obviously angered customer.
My point: Even with the powerful technology XM employs to quickly identify which customer is contacting them, the customer may still leave that contact situation unsatisfied. The only reason I didn't cancel my service when I called was because the last person I spoke with listened to my complaints and offered me a reason to accept her offer. Great technology won't replace good customer service reps.
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15 comments:
Another thought on XM's customer relationship management: although they make a strong use of technology, they still aren't doing a good job maintaining those customer relationships. If they're still losing customers at high rates, perhaps they should rethink their CRM system. Maybe the things that count are still low-tech things like having more reps to answer the phone more quickly.
George you poor thing. I feel your pain.
If there isn't something worse than bad customer service.
The only time I can recall that I have had bad customer service is a couple times in a restaurant with a particular waiter.
The most important thing to a business I believe is quality, but if they are offering a service such as satellite radio they should most definitely have impecable customer service so they can retain their subscribers.
Great Customer Service is the main reason why I have stayed with T-Mobile since January of 2002.
Keep your head up George it will get better!!!
The technology for CRM can help CRM process, but it is impossible to let it do everything. It can provide you some information about customers and can provide you with an ideal way to react customers in each situation, but, after all, human still have to deal with customers. Technology has not developed enough to enable non-human customer care yet.v
Ya know, I think a most customer service systems suck. Here's what I see as the problem/flow:
1. Company begins, starts to get a few customers/clients who they treat like gold. They know the customers by name, and have a great relationship. Things are awesome.
2. Company starts to grow, and there are suddenly too many customers and not enough staffers to keep track of everyone by hand. They still try, of course, but fail miserably, and everyone is unhappy. There must be a solution.
3. Company hires consultants to implement CRM system, and now they can track all of their customers as (if they were) objects in a database. When customer #32342342 has a problem, all data relating to them can be accessed immediately.
4. Things get mixed up, customers are no longer impressed by the CRM system. Employees want that old timey relationship thing, but it's impossible.
So the problem becomes trying to create the balance between fostering long last relationships and making it all into an automated system. Without that first element, it's just CM with no R.
UPDATE:
I called Audiovox today (got home from work early!), got right through to a representative. She told me that there was a flat-rate fee of $55 for a warranty repair. I found an online store that is selling a compatible, new radio for $22... I think that's the best choice. Definitely won't get another Audiovox radio but I do like XM... plus I've got several free months of service!
Last update:
I received my Delphi radio and called XM to activate it. The person I spoke with initially told me that the free service was attached to the broken radio and both couldn't be charged and I needed to pay the activation fee. I politely told her no and filled her in on my last conversation with XM. After putting me on hold repeatedly and consulting managers, my free service magically reappeared and the activation fee magically disappeared. So now I'm enjoying XM on a working radio again. :)
And as a final CRM technology note, on April 4 I sent XM an email about my radio through an online form stating a 24 hour response time. I received my reply this Sunday... telling me to call the XM phone number for help! So I take back their CRM tech congratulations, haha.
Got a Delphi as a gift. It conked out and I phoned XM. XM customer service referred me to Delphi and I was told my options were to buy a new one or a refurbished one.
I telephoned XM and asked them to cancel the service. I was bounced, put on hold and had to call back due to being disconnected. The retention department finally talked me into keeping the service and I purchase another unit. I specifically told the customer service that my MyFi was used at the gym to listen to music recorded from XM.
XM sent me a home/car unit. I called XM to explain the mixup and I was bounced to different departments in the company. I told XM to terminate my service. I am received XM to purchase the same unit for $25.00 from XM that they want to sell to me for$299.00.
I was transferred to the retention department because "that department handled cancellations". After much haggling I was offered a unit for $49.000 with a $50.00 mail in rebate. I was transferred to finalize the transaction, the Customer Service Rep said he could not find that price.
I gave him my spiel about my options of MP3 discs or IPod and asked him to cancel. We finalized this part of the transaction
The XM rep said I would get a credit on my my credit card within three days after XM receives the return unit. I telephoned XM because I did not get the credit and it has been over a month. The mail in rebate is also a no show.
By comparison my Bose Noise Reduction headphones were cracked. I telephoned Bose and was told to mail them back and they would send me a new pair. That's what I did and that's what they did. Bose knows customer service. I am surprised at the shoddy customer service XM has and that their front line reps are not empowered to make customer service decisions.
XM - Terrible Customer Support experience: My wife bought me a Inno as a birthday present. When I tried to immediately activate it, it was obvious it was broken. Called and got an RMA and waited. When they finally got it they said the box was delivered damaged and the inno was not in the box. Sorry buddy, too bad. WHAT? The post office says it was fine but they say it was damaged? Who's going to accept responsibility? After arguing with XM for weeks, they accept that they will replace the radio. Wait a few weeks and nothing shows up, call again, they say yeah, it's marked to be shipped. Wait a week, nothing, call again, still not shipped, they'll send a request to ship it right away. Wait a few weeks - sorry buddy, the box was delivered without the inno, you need to send it in. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING? Spend 20 minutes going back over everything - sorry buddy, we can't help you. They lied to me for two months waiting for what? This is criminal.
I canceled my subscription today. The customer service guy starts asking me questions like, "What stations did you like?" and I tell him I want to cancel and not answer these questions. He asks why I'm canceling so I tell him, "It's too expensive and the programing is weak." So he tells me I can have all radios activated for $77 dollars a year. Now I'm mad because I really feel like I've ripped off - I've been overcharged by more than 100 bucks in the past. He tells me this is a special offer since I cannot afford XM anymore. Now I'm angrier, "You have no idea what I can and can't afford and if you remember I told you your programing sucks." Nothing stops this guy and I keep telling him I just want to cancel. I'm not kidding when I say it took more than half an hour just to cancel my subscription.
Avoid! Avoid! Do not use XM!!!
Here's a better one. I have been double billed by XM since September 08. I spoke to one of their many great Pakistanian customer service reps who's only grasp of English was "I understand." I asked to speak with a supervisor and he told me that I "shouldn't talk to him in that tone." I was put on ceremonial hold for over 1 hour with hope that I would hang up. While on hold I called the customer service number again and politely asked for a supervisor. When I explained the story very slow for her so that she could translate it into Pakistanian, I told her one of her flunkies had a line on hold and that was the offending party. She put me on hold and mysteriously the other line went dead! She told me she didn't know who it was but she promised to get to the bottom of it for me. Meanwhile the part that was most excrutiating was finding out that a company that can put a satelite into space cannot receive emails!!! I had to "fax" my bank statements over to them! Who has a fax now??? It got even better when wasting over 4 hours of my valuable Saturday morning the damn fax number didn't work!!!!
Where they got me in the ceremonial groin is that I really enjoy the actual service. I've had XM for over 7 years. I would go to a competitor if they just had one!
I am extrmely upset with Sirius XM's customer service. Simply put: their customer service has chosen dollars over common sense and turned a customer who needed to cancel service into a former customer who feels scammed by Sirius. Not a smart move by them in this economy, when word of mouth about a company and its customer relations should be considered.
Earlier this year, on February 17, 2009, I called to cancel my Sirius radio service due to financial constraints. I had enjoyed the stations, and had hoped at some future point to be able to restore service. The customer service agent said she would let the service continue to the end of the quarter, and then - and I remember this clearly - it would expire. At no time was there any indication I would then be billed once again.
Yesterday, I realized my partner that Sirius radio had been left on, and so I called today to ask why it was still playing and to point out it should be stopped. At this time, the call was made because I truly believe I was receiving something for free and felt calling to make sure it was severed was the ethically responsible thing to do. Unfortunately, I was then informed that starting in May, I was being billed again after a three-month deal that I had agreed to.
Despite talking with three different people, the third of whom was Tanya / ID No. 02978, I was informed I would still be billed for the time since May. Despite my repeated explanations that your initial agent in February had obviously pulled a bait-and-switch, and that I had never agreed to have service restored, and had I know I would have called for service to be immediately cancelled on February 17, I walked away with little consolation.
Was I looking for any special bargain or deal? No. Was I looking for free service? No.
I was looking for Sirius to treat a customer properly, to understand that a customer was not fully and appropriately informed, and to be more understanding. And yes, to waive any fees charged to me since May.
Instead, Sirius is putting dollars over common sense. In this economy you would think they would think otherwise!
I hope others out there are treated better.
It's a shame.
dude why do you think that it's xm's responceibility to replace the radio? lthey have a 30 daY return policy after 30days you would have to contact your manufacture of the radio. so why would you even bother calling thelm for a broken radio. thats like me calling my cable company over my tv being broke and expecting thelm to give me a good deal. DONT WORK THAT WAY! b ut i agree XM SUCKS
another thing people complain of being over billed for months and somthimes years. why would it take that long to notice?I spose to check the cc statements every month and i know some people say. "i didn't have time" i say bs you didn't have time to make a 30min call. i worked fror xm i know how bad there custumer service is.I also know how dam stupid some people/subscribers are with there finances. Ive had people state that theyve been payiing for a radio for years that they thought was cancelled. i mean how stupid check you cc statements. Or people think the way to cancell is just to stop paying for service and xm want put thelm in to cancellations. cum on people can be stupid.
Ive also seen XM really fuck some people over in big ways. I seen one man pay 2000 for 1 radio. xm charged gim like 6 times for a lifetime package.
That guy above me made my head hurt. I believe he did work for XM. Anyway, I bought a new car that came with the 3 month trial. I had planned to keep the service, so I put my credit card on file, and was told that it would be billed at the end of the trial. No problem so far. About 2 months into the trial, I changed my mind, and called XM to cancel, which was done with little fanfare. 3 month trial ended, and my service was disconnected about a week later. All is great, then a month later, my online banking showed a charge of $16.12 from XM. I checked my radio in the car, and there was no service, so I called XM, thinking it'd be a simple fix, "oops, we're sorry, we'll get that refunded right away." That's not how it happened. At first, the automated system found me quickly, and sent me to a csr, who wasn't able to find my account. Not with my phone number, my radio ID, my email address, but finally with my name and address, she found me. My trial expired on April 26, 2009 and that charge was for late fees. Well, except for the fact that my trial BEGAN on April 26, because that's the day I got the car. 20 minutes on the phone with these people, two transfers, and no explanation, other than that it's late fees. Finally, I just told them to ensure that my account won't be charged again, and they assured me it won't, since I'd canceled service. Maybe this is how XM is staying afloat... Charge people petty amounts that nobody is going to take too much time to argue over, and train your CSR's at the school those monkeys on the careerbuilder.com commercials are trained at, and you've got it made. XM sucks, and I wish more people would realize that XM and Sirious now have created a monopoly that won't get any better.
WARNING!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT BUY XM RADIO. RIP OFF AND EXTREMELY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM PAKISTAN!!!!!
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