Don’t Make it Harder Then Needed for Agents

By Peter L DeHaan

July 30, 2008

A recent online purchase afforded an eye-opening experience that provided insight into how company policies and procedures can handcuff agents, making their job harder than needed and likely producing frustration and stress.

I had received a coupon to buy a self-inking stamp for a couple of dollars plus receive free shipping.  In visiting their site, however, I noticed a section for free stamps – seemingly an even better deal.  Unfortunately once I entered the order for the free stamp, the shipping charges for the free stamp made the coupon offer a better deal. 

Seeking to realize the greatest value, I used the discount coupon with free shipping to buy one stamp and the “free” option plus shipping for a second stamp.  Throughout the entire order process, their Website kept pushing options.  These were actually upsell offers, the cost of which was never displayed until after the option had been selected.  Each time it required going to and editing the shopping cart to maintain the deal I wanted. 

Eventually I grew tired of this charade.  I verified my shopping cart – both the quantity and the amount – clicking on the “order” button to complete my purchase.  It provided a total that was significantly higher than I expected.  Upon inspection, the quantity for the first stamp had been increased from one to two, with the second stamp being billed at the list price, plus shipping.

On this page, I noticed – for the first time – a toll free number and called.  (Their phone number is available – if you search for it; I just hadn’t looked for it up until then.)  Although I was agitated, the rep was calm and polite.  I explained the situation, asking him to cancel the unwanted stamp, but he was unable to change my order.  He sincerely apologized, offering a credit on my next order.  Since I wasn’t planning on there being a next order, I firmly declined.  After more unsuccessful conversation, he offered the credit option again – and then a third time.  At this point, I insisted on a credit to my charge card, to which he readily agreed.  He told me to keep the extra stamp. 

What perplexed me was that he was able to immediately pull up my order and view it, but he was not able to change it.  Furthermore he was able to issue a credit to my charge card – all I needed to do was make that request – but he couldn’t stop the shipping of the unwanted stamp.

This is wrong on many levels.  First, their Website was intentionally designed to hide upsell costs.  For someone attempting to quickly place an order, they could easily be charged much more than they expected.  Not only would this anger customers who realized too late that they were misled, but it would also generate customer service calls about inflated charges. 

When reps are busy solving problems, they aren’t selling or generating income, they’re mitigating damages.  Agents who can’t correct errors have their ability to solve problems limited.  Furthermore they were trained to steer customers towards accepting a future credit (most of which will never be used) and could only give a charge card credit when asked. 

All this makes the agents’ jobs harder and must be frustrating.  I wonder if they have a turnover problem.