Customer service isn’t the same anymore. Businesses used to be more than willing to take the time to make their customers feel valued. There were helpful & polite staff who actually took an interest in solving your problems. However, customer service doesn’t have that personalized feel anymore. From long wait times to chat bots, getting support can be a nightmare. In this list, let’s take a look at why customer service doesn’t compare to what it was in the old days.
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Lack of Personal Connection
Do you remember when the local shopkeeper or even a voicemail operator actually knew you? They remembered your name, what you wanted and treated you like you were a valued customer. Now you’re a number or an order ID in some database. It’s as if companies don’t care about who you are as long as they’ve got your money.
Overreliance on Automation
These days, before you get the chance to talk to an actual human being, you have to talk to a chat bot or go through an endless round of automated menus. Technology is convenient sometimes but when you’re dealing with a complicated problem, those bots aren’t going to cut it. Nothing trumps a human that listens.
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No Accountability
If something went wrong back then, the person you dealt with would stay with you until the issue was sorted. They were serious about getting it right. Now? You get transferred from department to department, telling the same story over and over again. No one takes responsibility, and you’re not sure if anyone’s actually going to help.
Endless Wait Times
Calling customer service was once a quick way to speak to someone. Now you just hang on hold forever with the same generic music or some voice telling you “Your call is important to us.” If it is important, why am I still waiting?
Decline in Politeness
Even when things were frustrating, customer service was used to be polite and respectful. Representatives were kind and patient and knew their way around tough issues. Now, you’re lucky if the person on the other end doesn’t sound frustrated and impatient. They just want you to get off the line.
Focus on Upselling Over Helping
You ring in to report an issue, and instead of solving it, they’re trying to sell you something else — an extended warranty, a premium plan, or some feature you don’t require. You get the impression that they only want to make more money off you, not do you any good.
Outsourcing Woes
Many companies outsource customer service to cut costs, which is all well and good in principle. And you end up with a receiver that has no idea what your problem is — or even the context. And then – sometimes there’s the language barrier or cultural difference that is making communication impossible – which frustrates you more.
Lack of In-Person Service
There was a time when you could just walk down to the shop or office and talk to someone in person. They’d listen, ask you a question and often solve your problem right there. Today – with so many businesses being conducted online – that human element is no more.
Poor Training
There used to be trained customer service reps that understood the specific products or services they were helping with. Now most reps just wing it. They don’t really know the answer – some may even lie to you, which makes things even worse.
Companies Prioritize Profits Over Customers
Companies once valued their customers and built relationships that lasted for years. They wanted your loyalty and struggled to get it. But now it’s like they just want to lower costs and increase profit – even if that means you are getting terrible service. There is no customer experience – just profits.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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