Forum: Disheartened by encounters with customer service bots
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My recent experiences with customer service have given me some food for thought about the relentless march towards automation, and the use of chatbots.
My first disappointment was with an international bank, with which I had been a loyal card holder for over 37 years. A couple of months ago, because of an oversight, I missed the payment due date by a few days and was penalised with late payment and interest fees.
I called the bank’s customer service to request a review, and the automated voice menu made it clear that the only way to apply for review was through the automated system. I applied twice, and was rejected.
Having no other recourse, I cancelled my membership and applied for a credit card from another bank. After I cancelled the card, the bank decided to have a human give me a call and offer to refund my late and interest fees with apologies.
The second case involved a telco. I wanted to buy a new phone and take advantage of a discount through the telco’s instalment plan.
I was unable to get in touch with a staff member after listening to 10 menu choices, and was eventually directed to a WhatsApp chatbot. The chatbot assured me that as long as I upgraded to a higher premium plan, I would be eligible to purchase the phone with the instalment plan when the new plan took effect.
I proceeded to upgrade my plan, and when it took effect several weeks later, I eagerly went online to purchase the phone. To my dismay, the system rejected my selected purchase option with no explanation of why I was ineligible.
A human customer service officer whom I managed to reach told me that I did not meet a second criterion. But he could not tell me what that was as the system did not reveal it.
Both episodes left me very disheartened. I surmised that the bank and telco systems’ algorithms likely aim to optimise profits and minimise losses, without considering the need to foster a relationship with the customer.
As businesses strive for higher efficiency through automation and adoption of artificial intelligence, I urge them to reflect on the human touchpoints necessary to remain engaged with customers, and help solve their concerns with sincerity.
Kerk Kim Por
