How often do you phone a company and end up listening to your local radio station (or even worse, muzak) while waiting for a response? As someone who needs to regularly query prices or place orders I often wonder (somewhat irritably) how much I’m paying Telkom to listen to music. It’s not as though these are small companies with limited staff struggling to cope with the number of calls. I’m not only paying to listen to the music but also paying for the time I should be busy doing my work. Telkom itself is probably one of the worst culprits when it comes to waiting for a response. Try phoning Telkom’s Internet Support line and you find yourself in a lotto – you may be lucky and get a response in 5 minutes or you can sit waiting for 45 minutes. The fact that most of the time Telkom’s calls are toll-free becomes irrelevant after the first 20 minutes, and the soothing music they play to alleviate the annoyance becomes anything but soothing after 30 minutes. I remember a TV advert some years back where several people in a call centre were playing cards totally oblivious to the phones all around them ringing endlessly, an image that often springs to mind while I wait for someone to answer.

When it comes to dealing with companies where I have a choice I often choose to phone a company I know will respond promptly, even if their prices are slightly higher. There’s a feeling of confidence when you deal with a company that answers promptly and professionally that makes you feel the extra price you pay is worth it. You get the impression that if they answer their phones promptly and professionally then the rest of their service must also be prompt and professional.

Some companies are far better than others at answering calls promptly and professionally which makes me wonder about the difference between those that do and those that don’t. Does it have to do with training, or is it the culture of the company reflected in the way they respond to calls? Either way, I know who I’d rather do business with.

Arno is one of the directors of getclosure! Arno has extensive experience in IT design and development and was responsible for creating the getclosure! complaints management system. Click here to read more about Arno.