Name Not Found - Name Not Found - Name Not Found

Do you want your customers to find you?  Do you want to be accessible?  Are you a customer service driven company?

These are all questions that each company should ask themselves on a regular basis.  With technology today, it seems companies are looking for the easy answer.  Let's automate to make it simpler.  I don't need anyone to answer the phone when someone calls.  I can save some money with an auto attendant.  BUT, do you save money or do you lose money?

What happened to the personal touch?  What happened to service?

Let's say I am a prospect and I want to check out pricing on your products.  I came to your booth at a trade show and I got a business card of a sales rep.    How about this scenario?

I call the number on the card.

"Hello you have reached the I Really Don't Want To Talk To You Company, if you know your parties' extension, please dial it now, otherwise press 411 to access our dial by name feature".  

I know the reps name and enter 411

Press 1 to dial by first name, press 2 to dial by last name" 

I enter 1 to dial by first name.  I mean really the first names are often shorter and easier to type.  I don't know about you, but typing by letters on a phone is not a skill I have nurtured.

"Name not found, please try again".

I enter the name again.

"Name not found, please try again".

I try again.

"Name not found, please try again".

I press 0 to try to reach a person, and I get disconnected.

I call back - go to the dial by name and try to dial by last name.  Guess what.

"Name not found, please try again".

The next thing I do is search another company that does the same thing and call them.  They have a live person answer the phone and direct me to the sales rep.  

Who do you think I will buy from?

Today I made a call where no one answered the phone.  They had a dial by name feature so I thought that would be perfect.  Tried the first name, "no such person in the directory"  tried the last name, "no such person in the directory", tried the first and last name of another employee, "no such person in the directory".  I then got the message,

"THERE HAVE BEEN TOO MANY FAILURES"  Their phone system then just disconnected me.

Yes I know that I have already written about Auto Attendants.  Call me old fashioned, but please, if you want to provide good service to your customers and prospects, make it easy for them to reach you.  You can read my previous rant here if you would like Auto Attendant Rant #1.  

A word of advice, check your phone systems, dial by name and auto attendant features fairly regularly so you are sure that it is working.  

Call yourself and try your own system.  You may be surprised at what you find.

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Lori Hanken has been in sales and marketing for over 30 years.  She is passionate about service and providing value to her vendors, prospects and clients.  Lori is currently co-owner of Total Displays with her husband David.  They help people look great at events, trade shows, in retail, museums and develop long partnerships with customers and suppliers.  If you would like to learn more, email her at lori@totaldisplays.com.  Connect with her on LinkedIn here.

Read other Total Displays Blog posts at http://totaldisplays.blogspot.com/