Eshin Direct

PCCW has to be one of the funniest company’s that I have ever had the experience to deal with. Big telco companies are notorious for their procedures and systems, and their lack of customer service. I guess they apply their system logic methodology to their customer service approach.

Here’s two examples of the logic in action.

Netvigator (ISP subsidiary of PCCW)

After playing hide and seek with a possible route to a human operator in the automated response system, I got pissed off when it decided to ask me for my HKID no. I thought I’d confuse them by inputting 111111111(*). I think it’s also why the kept me in the queue for ten minutes.

Eshin: Hi, can I change the name on the bill to my company name? It’s still paid for by me, but it just needs to include a reference to my company name.

Op: No, sorry. The system doesn’t allow changes to the name.

Eshin: Errr, you can’t go into the system and just add the name of the company?

Op: No. The system doesn’t allow it.

Eshin: So, how much would it cost me (stupid me, locked into a contract) to break the contract with you and find someone else?

Op: Hold on sir…..Yes, sir…HK$800.

Eshin: Okay, you do realize that you are about to lose a customer because your system can’t accept a change in name? What do you people do about women who change their surname when they get married?

Op: Sorry, sir. (No effort to retain my business).

Eshin: Can I speak to a manager (hoping manager would be more willing to not lose my business)?

The manager didn’t deign to speak to me but it turned out it was possible to just add my company name to the bill with my name. Perhaps it’s the language thing, but I’m curious why there wasn’t a real effort to address my problem or retain my business until I started asking for a manager?

PCCW Business Services

Okay, the girl was actually quite helpful so I can’t fault her on that. And she stopped me from signing on to a more expensive package. It’s more the procedure that shot her in the foot and that’s PCCW’s fault. I just signed up for my fax line which works in tandem with my phone line. Nifty, eh?

Op: So do you need a fax machine?

Eshin: Yeah. I don’t have a fax machine. Do you sell them?

Op: Yes, sir. We have the Panasonic XYZ123 for HK$1230.

Eshin: Okay, will have to think about that. Can I also change the name on the phone bill to my company’s name?

Op: Yes, sir. You have to fill in a form.

Eshin: Okay, so how do I do that.

Op: I have to fax that to you.

Eshin: Err…I don’t have a fax machine yet? I thought I covered that in the earlier part of the conversation?

Op: Oh yes. Well, then, sir, you can order the fax machine from us and I can arrange delivery and then I can fax it to you.

Eshin: Right…let me think about it.

Next Day….

Eshin: Okay, I need a receipt in my company’s name when you deliver the fax machine (established that it will be the only one in my possession).

(Same) Op: Well, we can’t issue a receipt.

Eshin: Errr…but I need something in my company name.

Op: Well, sir, we can issue a sales memo.

Eshin: Cool. Let’s do that. How does that work?

Op: We have to fax it to you.

Eshin: Umm…I don’t have a fax? So when I get the fax, I’ll give you a call and you can fax me your sales memo?

Op: Errr…no…we issue the sales memo and then we deliver the fax machine.

Eshin: Right…now, without a fax, how exactly do I get the sales memo? (Toying with the idea again to mention a loss of a customer rigmarole).

Op: Right…umm…let me check……yes sir, we can issue a delivery note with the fax.

Of course, I have to make allowances for discrepencies in language. I know if I was speaking in German or French, the obvious logic might not have dawned on me until it was pointed out to me. And unless you are superfluent in a language, you’ll always come across as dumber than you would in your own language.

But having said that, I have this horrible suspicion that companys around the world are harping on about this big sacred bull called customer service yet instill in their customer service reps a systematic procedure by which to deliver solutions to people with problems beyond the system. It doesn’t have to be service from the heart (nice line, with very little substantiation) but when you get a human to deal with your problem, you at least want a human thinking response.