Call Centre Expo - The BIG interview
Being invited as a guest speaker at this year's Call Centre Expo as the "Big Interview" on Day 1 was much appreciated as it showed the industry wants to hear from the consumer and understand the real customer experience. It felt a bit like going into the lion's den given those that have been named and shamed but the reception and response was really positive from all that I met. It was great chance to represent the customer, and explain to many people at the very heart of the issue just why automated phone menus (IVR) design needs to be improved in so many cases.
Not surprisingly, I focused on the biggest bugbears for customers, and the way in which these can be improved. The most common design issues such as too many options per level, too many menu levels, long intros, outros or information & no options to speak to a human. I reflected on the positive feedback that PleasePress1.com has received so far, and was able to answer further questions.
Overall, it was a great day - Olympia was buzzing with stands from hundreds of companies, and as I walked around it was nice to see friendly smiles and people who knew me and knew all about PleasePress1. It was great to see behind the scenes - there is some great technology out there but at the end of the day, it seems to me it is all down to how well the experience is designed and implemented - and it must be done with the customer in mind.