Ars Technica: Microsoft needs to fix Customer Service, too
BBC’s “Watchdog” is investigating the Rings of Death, and the BBC TV show may just be one of many PR problems Microsoft may have to fend with. Ars Technica’s Opposable Thumbs bites from another direction: Customer Service itself. The short story is: Customer Service is not being of service to our broken Xboxes.
The article was triggered by the Ars author’s receipt of so many letters from people’s experiences with MS Customer Support. The last straw was a “well-written letter” from a Northrop Grumman manager who explains that the entire tedium of talking to Customer Service, and going about fulfilling their requirements (for example, requiring him to fax in a bank statement) is costing him time and money – either of his paid leave or weekends.
“This is terrible to hear,” the Ars author writes. “Your company’s product has cost me time and money,” said the Northrop Grumman manager.
Compelling argument or the Whaambulance Emo Edition? There is that cliche about losers only whining about their best (don’t ask what winners do), but an Xbox 360 is an investment. Consider the multiple experiences of people cycling through new Xbox 360 consoles or sending them back to Microsoft for warranty repairs (and paying for the boxes). Now add the BBC investigation.
Now you can really see that these allegations of a Byzantine customer service don’t exactly become a welcome sight for PR.
Said the Ars author:
Fix this. Hire better people for the phones. Stop treating people like you think they’re trying to rip you off. Get replacement systems to people faster, and do it in a way that doesn’t inconvenience them. Remember that this is YOUR problem, Microsoft, and not the customer’s.
Cost-efficiencies of replacement vs. warranties aside, remember the two parts of the Hippocratic Oath. (a) First do no harm. And (b) a patient that b***hes to you is still your patient.
BBC’s “Watchdog” is investigating the Rings of Death, and the BBC TV show may just be one of many PR problems Microsoft may have to fend with. Ars Technica’s Opposable Thumbs bites from another direction: Customer Service itself. The short story is: Customer Service is not being of service to our broken Xboxes.
The article was triggered by the Ars author’s receipt of so many letters from people’s experiences with MS Customer Support. The last straw was a “well-written letter” from a Northrop Grumman manager who explains that the entire tedium of talking to Customer Service, and going about fulfilling their requirements (for example, requiring him to fax in a bank statement) is costing him time and money – either of his paid leave or weekends.
“This is terrible to hear,” the Ars author writes. “Your company’s product has cost me time and money,” said the Northrop Grumman manager.
Compelling argument or the Whaambulance Emo Edition? There is that cliche about losers only whining about their best (don’t ask what winners do), but an Xbox 360 is an investment. Consider the multiple experiences of people cycling through new Xbox 360 consoles or sending them back to Microsoft for warranty repairs (and paying for the boxes). Now add the BBC investigation.
Now you can really see that these allegations of a Byzantine customer service don’t exactly become a welcome sight for PR.
Said the Ars author:
Fix this. Hire better people for the phones. Stop treating people like you think they’re trying to rip you off. Get replacement systems to people faster, and do it in a way that doesn’t inconvenience them. Remember that this is YOUR problem, Microsoft, and not the customer’s.
Cost-efficiencies of replacement vs. warranties aside, remember the two parts of the Hippocratic Oath. (a) First do no harm. And (b) a patient that b***hes to you is still your patient.
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