Who cares? I do!

Wise Words: care

The whole point of customer care services is to show that the company cares, not to show that it couldn’t care less.

A litmus test to find out whether companies care or not is their choice of music. Not the music for their ads, but the music they force their customers to listen to when they put them on hold.

There are some very good reasons for playing music while the caller waits to be connected. It fills the silence. The music assures the customer that the connection still exists. At intervals, while the music is playing in the background, the company can use the time to inform the customer that the call is important and let the caller know how much longer they will have to wait (“Your call is important to us.”, “Please hold, you are the next caller in line.”). While the customer is on hold, the company can also inform the caller about special offers and about different caller options (“Press one if you wish to speak to our technical services.”). The music that plays in the background should be reassuring and calming.

You would think. The first time I had to call ForthNet, a telecommunications company in Greece, I didn’t really notice the music. I was concentrating too hard on following the instructions (“Press one if you wish to talk to someone who knows what they’re doing, press any other number to talk to someone who doesn’t…” or something like that.) But as my problem continued for ten days, I was forced to call back and listen to the lyrics — many times.

I nearly dropped the phone when I noticed these lines:

Sometimes I wonder what I’m waiting for…

Then it got worse:

Why don’t I just walk out the door?
Cos I can’t take it any more...

And worse:

It’s hurting inside.

Is this just a careless mistake — or a funny joke? 

Companies, particularly foreign ones, often choose the wrong song in English because nobody has bothered to check the meaning of the lyrics. (Politicians have done it too: Angela Merkel used the Rolling Stones song "Angie" during her 2005 election campaign, not realizing that Mick Jagger says: "But Angie, Angie, aint it time we said good-bye?")

If someone at ForthNet is trying to be funny, I think the joke will backfire.

This company clearly couldn’t care less about my problem, which is why I’m changing to another company. I do care and I want a carefree connection when I’m in Greece. Take care, ForthNet, because I can’t take it any more…

Listen to Mathew Fisher’s "Why’d I have to fall in love with you?", and I think you’ll agree with me. It’s the wrong choice for customer care services.