“It Won’t Be Taken Seriously.”
Rule Numero Uno: Respect the customer. If only one customer has a problem, you have a problem. Seriously. Yet, PayPal seems to have some mystical, magical number before they consider a problem a problem.
One of my Ask Mary subscribers sent me an email a couple of weeks ago – seems she didn’t see the monthly subscription payment on her account. So, I contact PayPal, thinking it’s probably some minor glitch. After several emails back and forth, PayPal tells me the subscription hasn’t been canceled and “thanks for sharing your concern.” When I respond, asking yet again why then the payment hasn’t been processed, I get an email telling me to call them, from “Nicole”
I understand that this is frustrating, so let’s eliminate the frustrating part by calling us at 1-888-221-1161. This will be less frustrating, you will be able to talk to an actual person, and you won’t have to wait for a response. Your issue will be resolved a lot quicker if you call.
Wow, I’m thinking, a real person! Somebody that gets service! Um, not so fast there, oh naive blond one.
When I call – there I am in phone system hell. After punching in numbers and responding to prompts, I get a guy who can’t grasp I’m a merchant with a problem that has already been reported multiple times. So, I ask to be escalated. I then speak to a supervisor, who tells me there is no problem with the code, that I’m the only one with this problem and “it won’t be taken seriously” if he submits a trouble report. “Maybe if five people called us, but you’re the only one.”
Finally, he says he’ll contact the subscriber since “it could be a problem with that account.” (Begs the question, why didn’t they check that when I first reported a problem?) He asks me for the subscriber info, which he can see by accessing my account (which I know he’s done because he’s quoted some of the info from it to me.) So, I pull up my account and read it to him. When asked when I’ll hear from him again – no commitment. I ask to be escalated, and – nope, can’t do that. He’s a “supervisor.” And, no, I can’t call him back directly. Sorry. Wonder if Scott Thompson, the relatively new CEO of Paypal, ever sits in on customer calls? Hello? Scott? It may not be fun but it sure could be educational! Everything you do is marketing – and that includes customer service call centers.
(Just so you don’t think I’m a hopeless crank – I also recently had a great positive service experience with a local company that I’ll be writing about tomorrow. If a small “low-tech” company can get service right, why can’t the high-techies, with all those marvelous systems? Hmmmm.…)
Update, 6/17/08: My client never heard from PayPal. And I got no response to my email sent to PayPal’s PR contact. Soooo….I’m looking into alternatives, will let you know my recommendations.
Tags: marketing, marketing troubleshooting, customer service, Paypal, Scott Thompson
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Good post, Mary. Two things jump right out: I like the graphic! Cool pix! But naive blond one??? Give me a break! I can’t quite think of you in those terms.
Bummer story. Bummer because I think – make that thought – of PayPal as the champion of the little guy/gal, the alternate merchant account for everyone. That verse doesn’t seem to belong in this song. Makes me want to go check my account. And then remind the people in my seminars to check theirs. Check closely.
Indeed. I recommend PP to my clients as well. safe, secure, efficient. This is people’s money! If PP doesn’t take one customer seriously – does that mean they take the business seriously? What’s the critical mass before we customers count? And, yes, I’m now going to recommend that if people do use PayPal they count carefully and often.
Great column. I just did an interview with Bill Price, the author of “The Best Service is No Service,” who made the point that in fact not solving these problems when “only one” person complains costs the company money … Why would you wait for five calls? Or 20? So you can tie up your phone lines and personnel answering the a complaint you’re already aware of?
Plus, when a company treats someone poorly, chances are pretty good that they’ll share that negative experience with others. (Especially if they have a blog!)
Glenna,
It never ceases to amaze me that companies STILL haven’t learned that an unhappy customer tells a lot of people – and now, thanks to technology, we can tell thousands, even millions.
That said, I don’t write these cranky posts simply because I’m personally upset. I do realize that I’m not the center of the universe. However, it really shouldn’t be this hard to give good service. Some basic common sense and common courtesy will do more for a company than the fanciest “customer relationship management” system in the world.
PayPal has a great opportunity to turn me into a customer evangelist – so we’ll see.