It does not take a mind reader to know that some of the most important things for your customers are 1) speedy service; 2) polite interaction 3) quick resolution. These priorities are here to stay, regardless of whether it is people that are handling your customers' requests or if automated solutions such as chatbots and AI have been deployed. 

Recently, I had two very different interactions with the customer care of a large online retailer. While both ultimately lead to the resolution of my issue, the experience was so different that it made me wonder what the best way forward was. 

On one occasion I was connected to Rachel who was polite and empathic. I did a fair bit of frustration venting and Rachel did her best to reassure me that she understands my feelings and is here to assist. Every technical question to diagnose my issue was preceded by these reassurances and I could not help but feel taken care of. Rachel understands me, I am not a bad person for coming to their website to 'complain.' Our chat took around 10mins altogether and I happily accepted the solution offered. 5/5 would pester Rachel again.

The other time around, I was connected to Kevin. He did not omit the customary polite conversation openers yet he asked very direct, much shorter, almost snappy questions. It took less than 5 minutes to find a resolution and I closed the chat, feeling happy yet a bit shellshocked. 4.5/5 for efficiency, -0.5 for feeling like an iPad on a conveyor belt.

A very simple question emerges - would you rather spend 10 minutes to get one 5-star review or two 4.5-star ones? How do you measure your customers' satisfaction?