52 Customer Support Chats That Somehow Created More Problems Than They Solved

I dread every moment when I have to reach out to a customer support agent. Usually it takes about 10 messages back and forth between an AI chatbot before they actually connect you with a real person. Then you have to wait for the human to message you. Then you have to relay all of the same information that you gave the AI bot. Then, if you’re lucky, you’ll finally receive some sort of resolution.

Unfortunately, I have a lot of experience chatting with these infuriating agents because every time I travel to another continent, I have to request a special meal for my long-haul flight. On almost every airline’s website, they claim that you can request special meals right there. However, for almost every airline, this feature magically does not work. And what should have taken 30 seconds ends up requiring 30 minutes and countless messages to a support agent.

Dealing with customer support agents has been extremely frustrating for ages, but CBC notes that it’s only gotten worse in recent years, as more and more of these agents have been replaced by AI chatbots.

One man noted that he had been charged $1,000 by a hotel that he had never even visited, and then he had an excruciating experience trying to get the charge removed.

“It's the worst," he told Cost of Living. "You're there, you're all upset. Nobody picks up the line; you listen to that agonizing music. 'Your call is important to us. We understand how you feel. They're getting more calls than usual.' It's frustrating."

Meanwhile, the lack of assistance that leads to frustration for customers often negatively affects employees too. “I would get screamed at for their wait times. I would get screamed at for how complicated the voice system was," one worker from Buffalo, New York, said. "It wears on you. I was taking, on average, 30 to 40 calls a day in some instances, and I'd say probably a good two-thirds of them were just getting screamed at and belittled."

To prevent this, some companies preemptively ask callers to remain respectful while on the line, but this can push an already frustrated customer over the edge. “I think it just typically triggers and angers customers," says Jessica Cryer, managing partner at The Experience Advisors, a firm based in Toronto. "I appreciate the intent. Do I think it's the most effective way to do it? I don't."

As far as why companies won’t just have employees pick up the phone, some say that there’s actually an incentive to making callers wait for so long. If they eventually give up and hang up, the company won’t have to pay an employee for having a conversation with them. 

“People tend to figure out their own problems, or they'll go a different route. It's all just a numbers game. It's about how much money the company can save,” one customer service agent said. 

These agents can’t avoid doing their jobs forever, though. And while it certainly isn’t easy to have to manage dozens of tickets at once, Zoe Talent Solutions notes that there are certain skills that every agent needs to have to succeed. 

First, they have to have great communication skills. They also need to be able to problem-solve under pressure. And it’s crucial to have empathy and emotional intelligence.