I've been a customer of my cable provider in Kenya, Zuku, now for 4 years.
And today I received my first ever "customer service follow up call".
Well that's how the politely spoken lady described it.
It didn't start well and accelerated downhill with alarming speed.
I see a number I don't recognise on my phone.
I gingerly answer with a simple "Hello."
"Hello," comes the reply then silence.
"Hello" I repeat."Yes, Hello, " she insists.
I'm adamant I'm not going to introduce myself first.
I salute her a 3rd time and perhaps then she gets it.
"Hello, I'm calling from Zuku, am I talking to Darren Stanley?"
"Yes you are."
I pause, so does she. She called me, does she expect a rant? Does she expect me to ask her questions? The proverbial penny drops.
"I'm doing a customer service follow up call on your Zuku service."
"Yes, OK." I respond.
Then another awkward pause. That seems to last forever.....
"How has the service been overall?" she pursues.
"Fine, thank you."
The longest pause of all ensues.
Am I actually taking this call?
Am I a survey guinea pig?
What is going on?!
Eventually, she realises I'm not going to say anything else without prompting or probing.
"Fine - that's good." Then she stops and pauses again.
"OK," she continues, "Thank you for your feedback."
I interject: "I'm sorry but I have found this call very strange. Aren't you supposed to ask me questions and probe?"
"Oh, Sir, I'm sorry the line is breaking, I can't hear you...."
In exasperation, I lose my patience: "Forget it, I'm eating my lunch, goodbye."
I hang up.
I know research is my metier, and I don't want to sound disingenuous, but this must be the weirdest most unstructured survey / service call I have ever ever encountered.
I smell a sales opportunity somewhere......
