I don’t understand why all automated response systems don’t provide the estimated hold time. If I really need an answer, I don’t mind waiting 5 or even 10 minutes in queue. Recently, while waiting on hold, my bank gave me a choice to wait or have the Contact Center call me back at my convenience. While I thought that was an excellent option, I never received a call back, so I had to call again and wait on hold. Maybe this was just a fluke, but the experience made me less likely to provide my call back information in the future.
Setting expectations – the right way
I consider myself very lucky to live in Manhattan and I take full advantage of the subway system. Many of the commuter lines now have signs that tell you exactly when the next subway will arrive. It takes much of the anxiety out of commuting, especially when you just miss a train and the display says the next one will arrive in 3 minutes. It also helps you to make a decision about waiting for the next train if the one that arrives is filled to capacity.
Setting service expectations just makes sense. In these busy times, people generally hate to wait. But knowing how long the wait will be makes the entire experience much more palatable. First impressions are key to any experience. Setting the customer’s expectation creates a great first impression!
