We’ve all been there. You call customer service, only to get a recording that says something to the effect of:
Thank you for calling the Big Fat Corporation. Your call is very important to us. Please wait for the next available representative.
And then you wait. And wait. And wait.
And while you are waiting, you can’t help but wonder, If my call was really that important to them, wouldn’t they have adequate staff on hand to handle things?
Okay, we get it
It may not be their fault.
At this point in time, companies both large and small are facing a severe shortage of people who are actually willing to work. I see it at my favorite local restaurant. They are frequently short on wait staff. And, the people they do hire often quit after a week or less. Apparently, if the job is exactly what they want, it’s easier to just go back on unemployment.
I have to assume the same is true of customer service representatives. It may not be that a company is too cheap to hire adequate staff. They just may not be able to find qualified people willing to work.
It’s all in how you handle it
If we assume this problem is affecting a number of firms, the issue is not being shorthanded, but rather how the company chooses to handle it. Although I don’t like to hear either of the following, at least they reflect a company being honest.
- “You’ve called during peak hours…”
- “Our staff is busy assisting other customers…”
Of course, if the real problem is a company being too cheap to hire adequate staff, then fuck ‘em.
A bald-faced lie
The problem with recordings that begin with, Your call is very important to us, is that they reek of insincerity — even if well-intentioned. And, in so doing, they insult the listener.
So, if your company is using a recording with that phony-sounding phrase, just stop. Okay? Why piss me off any more than you already have?