Operating a fitness business means staying on top of everything that is happening. One of the most important aspects of running the operation is to make sure your clients receive the attention and courtesy they deserve. When the customer support team for the fitness software you chose for your clients and staff to use is less than stellar, problems will ensue. Here are four things that should never happen when you call for help.
Unreasonable Hold Times
Being placed on hold is common, but excessive hold times are not acceptable. One of the reasons why longer hold times are so frustrating is the perception of how long it’s taking for a real person to pick up and engage the caller. The person who is on hold has a sense that it’s taking longer than the actual amount of time that’s passing. Company owners who understand this strive to keep hold times under 30 seconds even during peak business hours.
The other reason this is unacceptable is that you are likely calling because you need to help your client right now and the software is not working properly. Just as you are holding the line, there’s someone who is waiting for a response from you. The slow response is not improving your customer’s perception of the type of support they are getting. It’s no wonder you are frustrated with long hold times on more than one level.
Customer Service Agents Who Can’t Think Beyond the Script
Many customer service agents have scripts intended to help them know what questions to ask and how to troubleshoot basic issues. Unfortunately, some are unable to ever move beyond those scripts and speak directly to whatever issue the caller is facing. By taking a look at some of the reviews found online, you can see that this is one of the more common issues with mindbody scheduler and some of the similar types of software providers.
Scripts do have their place. However, an employer who never trains their customer service teams in the art of tailoring those scripts to directly address customer concerns leaves everyone unhappy with the results and this is the case with mindbody scheduler.
Apathetic or Rude Customer Service Agents
While most customer service professionals understand the importance of remaining calm and listening closely to what a customer is experiencing, others simply don’t care. All they really want to do is wait until the customer finishes, offer a scripted apology, and attempt to end the call as quickly as possible. That leaves you with no solution and a sense that calling back would be futile. When the agent goes beyond apathetic and makes rude comments, that is more than enough reason to terminate the relationship and start looking for a different software provider.
Lack of Timely Follow-Up
Nothing ruins a relationship with a customer like promising to look into an issue and get back with the caller within a defined time frame. You already spent time waiting for an agent to pick up and going through the details of the issue. Now you expected a call back by noon today and closing time is here without that return call. How much longer will you keep doing business with that provider?
Even if you are generally happy with the fitness center software you are using, something changes when there are problems getting help from the customer support team. Instead of continuing to condone support that is less than helpful, why not look for a software product that is at least as good and comes with dependable support? Making the switch will be easier than you think, and it will certainly help you maintain good relationships with your clients.