Automation can be a wonderful thing, delivering consistency and cost savings to much of what we do in business today. But what’s the downside? When does it become too much of a good thing?
The nice looking guy you see in this photo is Ernest T. This snapshot was taken only a couple of months before his death and he was not looking his best. He lived a long life (more than 15 years) and was a good friend, but his old age and a long bout with diabetes finally forced our hand.
The decision to euthanize was a tough one, but deciding how and where to have it done was not much easier. Ernest T’s personality lived up to his namesake (If the name doesn’t ring a bell, you can learn more here). He was a fully clawed wild fellow with Maine Coon heritage, and he never met a veterinarian (or transporter) he liked. We had essentially ruled out (or been banned from) all familiar local clinics and could find no vets that made house-calls in our town. Ultimately, an animal-loving neighbor recommended a local animal hospital.
Even though we knew it was the right thing to do, the experience was nonetheless sad and stressful. Thankfully, the hospital and staff were fantastic. I won’t describe it as a great customer experience (the language just doesn’t fit), but the veterinarian was caring and professional, the facility was very nice and everything went better than expected. A couple of days later, we even received a handwritten and clearly sincere note from the vet who performed the procedure. The note further solidified my feelings, making me certain I would visit again (hopefully for different needs) and recommend the hospital to others.
The following day, we received another mailing that changed my mind. This one arrived in an envelope that looked just like the one the vet sent, but the contents were quite different. Instead of a sincere, handwritten note this one was stuffed with a bright card sporting a smiling cat and dog on the front with the word “welcome” in a very large font. The mass-produced message printed inside read:
“Welcome to ______ Animal Hospital. Our concern is for the health and happiness of your pet. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or for any service we can provide for your pet.”
Talk about the wrong message at exactly the wrong time. Clearly the result of an automated new customer process intended to promote repeat visits and loyalty, but someone didn’t think through all the possible scenarios that could trigger the send.
That example is certainly a broader customer experience issue, but researchers are far from immune to this kind of mistake. Following a recent new car purchase, I received a satisfaction survey last week addressed to “Danny.” If you know me at all, you know I am not Danny. I am Dan. I typically sign formal documents with “Daniel” and that is acceptable, but I can assure you no piece of documentation had the word “Danny” on it. Is this the result of some new algorithm that attempts to increase response rates by converting names to something more “natural” or conversational? What a terrible effort.
So, what automation do you have in place that is negatively affecting the customer experience you provide? Is it time for an automation audit? Well-meaning IT, process and efficiency experts (whose priorities don’t always include customers) have been working hard to automate. What have they cost you?
