New this week - if you call into Customer Care (*2) to pay your bill, be prepared to be transferred to the interactive phone system to complete your payment. In an effort to reduce inbound calls to care centers, and to increase the awareness of self-service options, the policy went into effect at most centers this week.
If you call for other reasons, the agents have been instructed to resolve any issues first, and inform you that after those are all taken care of you will be transferred to the *3 payment system to complete your payment. While I don't agree with the change, I do see (if only a tiny bit) why it was implemented. It's a step backwards from the personal touch and the 'be the reason' approach, because in all likely hood most customers know they can either pay online at sprint.com or over the phone by dialing *2 - so if they're already on the phone with an agent, and their payment method is already on file, it literally takes 30 seconds to process a payment and all is done. With this new system, not only do I think that some CSAT scores will drop, but it also increases the transfers for each agent - yet another metric that stands between them and a pink slip.
What's your thoughts? If you're arleady on the phone, or willing to wait for an agent, should you be transferred to an automated payment system to complete your payment?
I believe this IS the correct stategy. The're are reasons behind everything. I highly doubt this is a policy implemented "Just Because". Here's the reasons as I see them to be based on call center's I've worked at for multiple companies, including telecommunications. #1) Every call into a Customer Care Center costs about $7. There is no need to incur a $7 charge that can be avoided by the customer making the payment themselves via IVR. #2) I know that right now, you are thinking, "Well they should pay $7 then, I'm paying them for service so they should help me!" Here's the real deal. With Sprint in particular, your cost for calling plans are less then other national carriers. In order to provide high quality service at greater value, you have to SAVE money in other areas. People want more, but want to pay less, and that's just not a reality. Things have to balance. Would you rather pay astronomical fees with Verizon Wireless MONTHLY just to make payments with a live rep, or pay LOWER fees with Sprint EVERY MONTH and just make your payment using the automated system? #3) The most valid reason OF ALL. There is absolutely no reason to tie up an agent with taking your payment, something you can do yourself, when there are customers calling about issues THAT CANNOT be resolved without an agent, such as technical support or billing issues. The agents need to be readily available to assist these customers quickly and efficiently without long hold times as the odds are the customer on the other end of the phone is already upset. That is what the agents are there for. So stop griping and just use the IVR, is it really that difficult?
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