Online Discussions Are A Train Wreck

Group communication is the backbone of the web. Forums, social networks, and email all enable people to congregate online and discuss.

It’s meant to mimic the physical world. You meet with a group of people and begin talking about a topic. The great thing about the internet is that conversations can happen asynchronously.

Everyone doesn’t have to be online and discussing at the same time. We can log on whenever we choose, scroll down through the discussion, and respond.

The only problem is this design doesn’t really work well.

Rethinking Customer Service: Why Innovation Isn’t Only Needed On The Cutting-Edge

Bad customer service. We’ve all experienced it. The problem has become so commonplace that we willingly accept it, and what’s worse is that many companies have too.

Many frustrating customer service stories begin with a phone call:

  • “I called to ask a question about my bill and couldn’t find a way to speak with a human.”
  • “My internet was down, and I spent over an hour on hold, only to be told to contact my computer manufacturer.”
  • “I just wanted to change my address, but my call got transferred to four different people.”

Poor service isn’t just limited to phone calls. Online chat, email, even face-to-face conversations can all be a nightmare. Normally, such a large problem would have businesses and entrepreneurs working on a fix. Yet, where are the innovators in customer service?