It’s a universal reality: Customers dislike waiting on hold. Now call-backs and virtual queuing are changing all that. “Our basic mission is to improve the call center experience,” said Shai Berger, CEO and cofounder of Fonolo. “The heart of what we do is replacing hold time with a call-back.” Call-backs benefit customers, most of whom would rather not be tied up listening to grating music or repetitive reassurances of their importance to the company. They also benefit call centers, which don’t have to tie up phone lines and other resources with callers on hold.
You've GOT to be kidding ... offering to call people back as an option to them instead of waiting "on hold" is an innovation?? In the customized voice systems we've been designing and building for clients for MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS, we've offered this "innovation" many times - as a relatively small part of MUCH more robust systems! This is kindergarten-level stuff ...
And ... the "TYRANNY of having to 'press one for this or two for that'"?? Pardon me while I barf ...
Both the supplier of this "wonderful new service" and the author of this story clearly have no idea of any prior art in the field in which they are apparently presenting themselves as "knowledgeable" (NOT!). It might have benefitted both to do a little checking before going to the trouble of creating the service ... or writing about it.
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We'll Call You: Putting an End to On-Hold Misery
Posted by: Vivian Wagner January 28, 2013 05:00 AMIt’s a universal reality: Customers dislike waiting on hold. Now call-backs and virtual queuing are changing all that. “Our basic mission is to improve the call center experience,” said Shai Berger, CEO and cofounder of Fonolo. “The heart of what we do is replacing hold time with a call-back.” Call-backs benefit customers, most of whom would rather not be tied up listening to grating music or repetitive reassurances of their importance to the company. They also benefit call centers, which don’t have to tie up phone lines and other resources with callers on hold.
And ... the "TYRANNY of having to 'press one for this or two for that'"?? Pardon me while I barf ...
Both the supplier of this "wonderful new service" and the author of this story clearly have no idea of any prior art in the field in which they are apparently presenting themselves as "knowledgeable" (NOT!). It might have benefitted both to do a little checking before going to the trouble of creating the service ... or writing about it.