To begin with, that use of automation on the phone lines is a bad move. Call centers are designed to get ‘em on the line, get ‘em off the line. But what companies forget is that customers know when they’re being treated badly. And when you’re not treated well, you’re going to go somewhere else or make the company pay.

-Ann Humphries

We all know what the typical customer service call center experience is like. It’s so entrenched in our culture, it’s cliche.  The automated voice, the multiple options ans the joy of waiting on hold for what seems like forever, are all well known aspects of many call center customer service experiences.

Customers get this. And we complain about it. And the media does news stories about it. And people like me write books and articles about it. Yet companies continue to do the same thing. They claim to want to offer good customer service yet they still offer us the same old stuff.

Maybe one reason is the decision makers at these companies don’t really understand how ridiculous their phone service is. Maybe they need a more vivid example of what an awful experience they are delivering to their customers.

They should watch this video. It’s funny and entertaining. But more importantly, it’s enlightening. It shows hows just how dumb these experiences can be.