What is the problem?

As you learned in the Discussion, the most crucial aspect of providing stellar customer service involves being able to define the problem so you can prioritize the solution(s). It only takes one or two interactions with a customer service department that cannot understand what the problem is, and thus cannot resolve it, for a customer to lose confidence in a company’s support system. Experiencing issues with a customer service department can cause a lack of trust for the customer and result in the customer taking their business elsewhere.

Using the 5 Ws from the CSR Toolbelt see if you can resolve the following problem.

Scenario: Using the 5 Ws in a Live Chat

Company overview: AutoBill is a service which aggregates all of your bills in one central file and pays them all for you based on several different options: customers can pay by one monthly check sent to AutoBill’s offices through regular mail, directly online using a checking account direct debit, or by using a credit card or debit card either online, or over the phone.

The following interaction takes place on AutoBill’s Live Chat on a Monday morning:

After entering their account number, and selecting “Live Chat now”, the following appears:

CSR: This is Gabriel. How may I help you today?

Female Customer: I need to know how to pay this bill as there is no address on the bill.

CSR: What address did you use previously on your last bill?

Female Customer: I didn’t.

CSR: Okay, so you want to start paying online then?

Female Customer: No, I don’t. I just need an address.

CSR: There should have been an address that was sent with the bill payment request.

Female Customer: No, there is no address, and I need to pay this. Can you help me?

CSR: You can just pay it online so you won’t be late. Just enter your last four digits of your social security number.

Female Customer: First of all, I don’t know it, as I am paying this for my Uncle who just died. Secondly, it is due in three days’ time, so I want to FedEx this. Can I get an address?

(pause for a few minutes while CSR answers another customer in a separate chat)

CSR: I am sorry I don’t have an address available; but do please feel free to use our on-line payment system. Thank you.

Checklist:

• Briefly describe the overall customer service problem.
• Using the 5 Ws identify the problems in the customer interaction from the standpoint of the customer.
• Consulting your CSR Toolbelt, and the Customer Service Resolution Strategies from the Learning Activity, explain what tools and strategies are not being used properly in this scenario, and how they are not being used properly.