Slooowwww responses to email requests

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20147 posts

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#947010 7-Dec-2013 11:48

timmmay: Why is email treated as second priority to calls? It should be put in a queue and answered in the same amount of time as a call is. Most places do that, it makes no sense.

I was just about to say the same thing. It seems the large companies which use phone call centres are really slack with email support. Email and phone support should have the same priority or there should be a message to explain the difference.

r2b2

586 posts

Ultimate Geek

#947012 7-Dec-2013 11:54

I personally don't expect "next hour" service via email (as if I did it would be important enough to phone) but within the next day (not just business days) would seem a better target.

clinty

1182 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#947030 7-Dec-2013 12:18

r2b2: Yeah. I know its a 'novel' concept

Basically it's the only way I don't miss stuff on some if the documentary channels due to me forgetting about upcoming things.

OT I know but the new sky app on android and apple covers all the channels and you can set remiders :-) and can be used by non sky subscribers as well

Clint

r2b2

586 posts

Ultimate Geek

#947051 7-Dec-2013 13:09

Thanks - yeah got it on my phone but still (I think) have a 7 or so day limit so not much good for things on a couple of weeks out.

quickymart

13932 posts

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#947077 7-Dec-2013 14:08

johnr: A ha

" The Guide & SKYWATCH magazine "

I wonder if that is a physical magazine or a TV channel, Let me check next week

It's a physical magazine.

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#947103 7-Dec-2013 15:06

quickymart:
johnr: A ha

" The Guide & SKYWATCH magazine "

I wonder if that is a physical magazine or a TV channel, Let me check next week

It's a physical magazine.

Thanks awesome that answers @r2b2 question

MaxLV

656 posts

Ultimate Geek

#947129 7-Dec-2013 16:29

Not sure why you need the skywatch magazine...

If you miss a programme just wait a couple of hours and it'll be shown again.

For, like, the next 2 - 3 months. Then the schedule gets restarted, and it'll be advertised as a must watch New Zealand premier, first time shown in NZ, etc, etc.

On the subject of Sky programming, a couple of suggestions for Vodafone/Sky TV.

The Living Channel should be renamed the 'British Real Estate' channel, what with every second programme about buying a holiday home in Europe, or buying a derelict 'house' and fixing it up...

The BBC Knowledge channel needs to be renamed the "Top Gear UK' channel. Handy if you want to watch episodes you missed, but who ever misses watching 'Top Gear' first time around.

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r2b2

586 posts

Ultimate Geek

#947289 7-Dec-2013 21:40

johnr:
quickymart:
johnr: A ha

" The Guide & SKYWATCH magazine "

I wonder if that is a physical magazine or a TV channel, Let me check next week

It's a physical magazine.

Thanks awesome that answers @r2b2 question

Well actually not quite - the issue is whether it comes free with the Vodafone TV for Sky or if its extra like it was with the old TCL plans ($3.95 I believe) :)

sleemanj

1490 posts

Uber Geek

#947414 8-Dec-2013 12:22

johnr:

If you wanted to know something urgent / priority would you call or email?

I would prefer to email.

The only reason I would begrudgingly pick up a phone is because the business doesn't provide an adequate service level when communicating by email.

---
James Sleeman
I sell lots of stuff for electronic enthusiasts...

Jaxar

383 posts

Ultimate Geek

#947884 9-Dec-2013 11:24

mattwnz:
timmmay: Why is email treated as second priority to calls? It should be put in a queue and answered in the same amount of time as a call is. Most places do that, it makes no sense.

I was just about to say the same thing. It seems the large companies which use phone call centres are really slack with email support. Email and phone support should have the same priority or there should be a message to explain the difference.

You're not really implying you would rather wait for the phone to be answered while an agent writes an email to somebody?

That seems a little bit backwards to most peoples desires.

Please note: I have a professional bias towards Vodafone.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
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Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#947909 9-Dec-2013 11:52

No, I think he's implying companies that offer an email support address should have people to actually reply to those emails.

Jaxar

383 posts

Ultimate Geek

#947950 9-Dec-2013 12:28

Maybe I'm missing something. I didn't realize anybody was implying nobody was replying at all but simply they thought the balance of resourcing should be 50/50 instead of more resources put to the phones which take more of and deal better with urgent inquiries.

I guess the point I was going for is that a statement that any Telco running a call centre should dedicate a significant % of resources to email at the cost of answering calls is either made by somebody who has not thought through the statement from a practical point of view or really only has need of the most basic support which could be more conveniently answered by email than by phone.

I can certainly imagine a lot of geekzone members falling into the second category but unless you are talking about an ISP that specializes in dealing with those sorts of customers then prioritizing a greater % of resources to calls over email seems a logical business decision to me.

Rather than the long winded dry explanation above I went for something which we can all relate to which is not wanting anymore reason to wait on a phone line to have our question answered or problem addressed.

Please note: I have a professional bias towards Vodafone.

sleemanj

1490 posts

Uber Geek

#947966 9-Dec-2013 12:49

Jaxar: You're not really implying you would rather wait for the phone to be answered while an agent writes an email to somebody?

Why not, if we consider a support queue

1: Joe Bloggs with a Phoned Enquiry
2: Your Phoned Enquiry

and an alternative queue

1: Jane Bloggs with an Emailed Enquiry
2: Your Phoned Enquiry

which do you think will be quickest for the support agent to get to you?

Hint: Answering many email enquiries can be as simple as selecting an answer from the drop-down and clicking send.

---
James Sleeman
I sell lots of stuff for electronic enthusiasts...

Jaxar

383 posts

Ultimate Geek

#948090 9-Dec-2013 14:44

I see your point however I think this scenario is too narrowly defined to be realistic.

If those four proposed interactions were literally the only interactions and the email only required a template response then certainly the scenario involving the email would be faster. Probably by a good 5 minutes.

In reality the average handle time on email is much longer and it takes a lot longer to write an email covering all the points than it does to say them. The strength of email is ability to have a written record and its ability to send and forget until you get a response.
Verbal communication strengths are that its dynamic and allows for quick identification of correction and misunderstanding.

This post is an example. I would love to discuss a whole lot more concepts around this topic of communication and the pro's and cons of doing it different ways but frankly I don't have the time to put them to paper in a way I can be sure that convey my points clearly, concisely and doesn't make me sound like a jackass.

Please note: I have a professional bias towards Vodafone.

mattwnz

20147 posts

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#948112 9-Dec-2013 14:58

freitasm: No, I think he's implying companies that offer an email support address should have people to actually reply to those emails.

Yes. Also generally most people these days can almost type as fast as they can speak, if not faster, so email can be far quicker to communicate something, especially technical related. Whereas you can speak to someone on the phone for 30 minutes trying to understand something and write notes on how to do something, whereas if the instructions are in an email, it can easily refer back to them.
I have persoally found some ISPs really good with email communications, including the big one, but some just don't reply at all.

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