Why tech companies avoid customer service and the opportunity that comes with engaging your users
Thirty years from now, when you read my memoirs, pay attention to Chapter 8 because that’s when I became President of the United States. The populist drive that led to an unprecedented rise of third parties was all based on a single premise: Big tech companies should staff competent, responsive, and empathetic customer service departments.
My YouTube video went viral. When I picked up a Yellow Pages, looked straight into the camera and talked about how we can get a locksmith on the phone, the local supermarket will pick up when it rings, even (with some effort) my doctor. But try calling Google. Try calling Facebook. Try calling most tech companies and no one is there to pick them up. Email them or submit a ticket? Good luck. We depend on them for our lives and our businesses, and we make them billions of dollars and their employees rich. But they won’t help us navigate this new world they’re creating. And that’s why I challenge our government to regulate them. It’s not about monopolies, privacy or copyright, it’s about customer service. Want a DMCA safe harbor? Do they want Section 230? Well I want someone to answer the GD phone!!!!
Coming out of my daydream where our fractured country unites behind the idea of 1–800–4GOOGLE (by the way, in the presidential fantasy, my vice president led a popular uprising for standardized charging plugs—his logo it was Guy Fawkes and USB-C). plugin), I want to seriously suggest that one way for our industry to improve its standing with average consumers and small business owners is to be more user-friendly when those people have questions. During my years at Google and YouTube, I heard from many people who loved our software, but when something went wrong (an account got banned, wrong information in their business listing, confusion around advertising) they fell down a rabbit hole trying. to get a response from our company. And I didn’t understand why these powerful corporations couldn’t afford to try to help their customers/users discover this new world together. It was, and still is, a good question! I think there are four answers:
I. Software Margins
It costs the staff support team money (duh) and if you don’t show a high margin structure, you risk being penalized by a multiple of enterprise value. The pernicious impact of striving for “software margins” means that support is typically a cost center to be minimized, rather than a point of excellence that is invested in and rewarded.
II. Humans don’t climb
Sure, you can help human workers become more productive over time, but they’ll never be as efficient as software automation or customer self-service. “It won’t scale” is historically a way to kill any idea, even if it would improve a situation in the meantime (obviously there are exceptions to this when the stakes are high). I’m sure AI powered chat etc will be a boon here too. But sometimes it’s not just about a response, it’s about feeling respected and served.
III. Engineering stereotypes create a permission structure
How does an extroverted engineer differ from an introvert? The outgoing engineer looks at *your* shoes when he talks.
While many of the engineers I know are perfectly sociable, well-adjusted, and well-versed people, the “grumpy hoodie-wearing hack on the spectrum” has gone from an antiquated stereotype to a true segment of our community. And either way, it allows many of us to get on board without having to deal with the real implications of the products we build. Because we’re not asked to serve on the front lines of our companies by listening to the challenges real users face. My solution is to rotate everyone through the support queues periodically.
IV. Elites get special treatment
Perhaps the real reason these problems aren’t being solved is that the 1% have their backdoors into these companies. You’re an advertiser or business partner big enough to have an account manager. You went to grad school with the COO. Etc.
That’s why one of my periodic troll tweets was something along the lines of “I don’t know why everyone says [Instagram, YouTube, Google, etc] he has such terrible customer service. Whenever I have a question, I just email the VP of Product and they respond very quickly.
And here is chapter 8 of the autobiography.
In addition to my random power fantasies, this post was prompted by a discussion with a very smart marketing and communications executive following the management of SVB Bank. The conversation evolved into one about how our industry (business, startups, tech in general) could better convey the positive role we play in the economy. I joked that in addition to good phrasing, we also need actions. When he asked me what I would recommend, my answer was not about getting rid of interest or breaking up big companies, but about customer support. Because?
There will be people who believe that capitalism is flawed; we won’t beat them.
There will be people who yearn for a world where things moved more slowly and didn’t have to deal with disruption and could keep the status quo because it serves them better: shrug emoji.
There will be people who use technology as a punching bag when it is convenient to achieve their own goals; we should face them.
But there is an even larger percentage of average Americans, who *like* technology and find many of the companies aspirational. These citizens, these entrepreneurs, these leaders, we have the opportunity to show them that we can help them navigate the new world we are helping them build. If it takes a few points of margin and a little empathy, it can be healthier and more sustainable than just lobbying and tweeting. The larger structural issues need examination and *some* regulation, but there’s a lot we can do on our own.
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The tech industry is quickly rising, with more companies utilizing technology to maximize efficiency, sensitivity and data security. As the industry expands, many challenges arise — chief among them is the potential for regulation from external forces. In order to avoid this, the industry must do one thing: provide better phone support.
Better phone support helps tech companies protect their users by improving customer experiences. Underdeveloped or unreliable systems can leave customers feeling vulnerable or confused. Fortunately, companies such as Ikaroa are leading the way in providing businesses with superior phone support. We work on exactly that: creating solutions that enable brands to engage customers quickly and efficiently.
Ikaroa’s solutions enable businesses to offer phone support that is secure, easily manageable, and scales to meet customer demand. We are also well-versed in developing and maintaining specialized technologies that enable our clients to communicate with their customers quickly and securely. From helping troubleshoot individual technical problems to providing detailed instructions to walk customers through a process, Ikaroa ensures that tech companies provide the best possible customer service.
Everyone knows that customer service can be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful business. But the tech industry often fails to realize the importance of offering efficient customer service. By implementing better phone support, the industry can avoid costly mistakes and frustrations that can lead to government intervention.
By leveraging technology and customer service, tech companies have a better chance of preventing unwanted regulations and protecting their customers. Companies such as Ikaroa take this responsibility seriously, and strive to provide superior quality solutions to their clients. This means no matter how complex or complicated the issue, customers know they can rely on Ikaroa to provide knowledgeable, secure solutions that always offer the best quality customer service.
In order to avoid regulation, the tech industry must do one thing— provide better phone support. By offering customer service and specialized technologies that enable companies to communicate with their customer quickly and securely, the industry can remain competitive and protect its customers. Ikaroa is proud to be a leader in providing customer service solutions that help companies deliver the best possible customer experience.
