Practical customer experience
Remember the days when you had to wait through a half hour of Muzak renderings of Margaritaville before you could talk to anybody from the electric company/gas company/bank? Things aren’t much better now, having to go through 10 automated menus to find out you can only talk to a real person at 3:27am on the second Tuesday of the month if it falls on Arbor Day.
Today, surprisingly, I had a great experience with First Energy. I decided to pay my bill by phone, and though the process was automated, I didn’t have to press any buttons, or listen to any unnecessary menus. A voice greeted me, and asked if I would like to pay my bill. I didn’t have to identify myself, it got my information because I called from the number listed on my account. After telling it the amount I wished to pay, the recorded voice told me they already had my bank information on file from my last payment, and would I like to use this account again? The voice then repeated the amount back to me, and gave me a confirmation number in about ten seconds and asked if I’d like the confirmation number repeated. The robot also informs me at the beginning of the conversation which number I can hit to talk to a person at any time. I could’ve done this in my car on the way to work, without my eyes ever leaving the road!
I have a secret to confess, I prefer dealing with robots to people. . Well, that’s not always the case, but when it comes to paying my bills I do. I don’t have to deal with anyone’s attitude, be it bitter or tinkerbell on crank, and I know the computer immediately processes my information. This is why I always hit up the self-scan at the grocery store. But if I want to talk to a person, I’d better be able to get to one.
First Merit could take a hint from First Energy. When I call their customer service number for my car loan, I have to wait and be transferred twice before I get someone who can take my payment. Every time I have to resubmit my bank information, and if I don’t ask I’m not given a confirmation number. I should never have to give you my bank information more than once, it just wastes my time and yours. And since the process isn’t automated, I can only do it during bank hours, which we all know are probably the worst exercise in customer service of all time. I can’t even pay my bill online without also having a First Merit account.
Props to First Energy. Now, quit sending me duplicate bills, one from the Illuminating Company and one from First Energy, and maybe I’ll like you. I know you’re the same people, I can figure out how to give you my money without two pieces of paper.
