Pop Up Chat Request on visiting a web site ...

There are quite a few web sites where, even before one has had a chance to surf the site, a chat request pops up. 
My take is that the chat request should pop up, most simplistically speaking, after the visitor has spent some time on the web site. An instant pop up chat request with "How can I help" could easily cause a reduced CX, because, it could be perceived as a bit "intimidating". 

On the other hand, there are web sites where I struggle to find answers, and still, there is no popup chat request. www.transportnsw.info is one such site, where I often end up wishing there was a chat agent available to quickly clarify my points. 

I visited the SkyBus web site, https://www.skybus.com.au/, today. 
Sure enough, a chat request popped up almost immediately. 
I generally ignore the immediate chat requests, preferring instead to surf the web site, find information myself, and use the chat only if I have unanswered questions.
However, in this instance, I responded to the chat request.

Barring the fact that the chat request originated the instant I had the web page open, my chat experience on this web site was very good. 
I had visited this web site to ascertain whether I should hire a car for my one-off return commute between Melbourne Airport and Sheraton Hotel in CBD, or should I choose to take the bus. The chat experience left me significantly inclined in favor of taking the Bus; thus, I had a first hand proof of a good chat experience resulting in improved business.

I opened the skybus web site again within about five minutes, just to test whether the chat request pops up again; it did not ! The chat button was nicely presented on lower right border of the web page. Good work !

I suggest that following points should be considered for presentation of a pop up chat request on a web site : 

a) the visitor should be allowed to surf the site for a reasonable duration before presenting him / her with a chat pop up request.

b) the rule for presenting the pop up chat request should be based on ascertaining whether the visitor's navigation suggests the possibility of developing the business, or whether he/she needs assistance for locating some information.


Are there any more considerations, I would appreciate your comment. 

Calling Australian Taxation Office PTAX Enquires Line ... Time-Of-Day

I have a card from ATO titled, "Contacting the ATO".
In this card, Personal tax enquiries number is listed as 13 28 61, and, the timings are Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 6.00pm.

The time in Sydney was 7.25pm. I called 13 28 61, expecting to hear an out of business hours announcement. To my surprise, there was an agent available !

How was it that while the published time is until 6.00pm, an agent was available at 7.25pm ?

It was possible because the call was routed to Western Australia, where the time was 4.25pm !

Good thinking by ATO ... instead of checking time-of-day of the zone from where call originates, ATO first determines whether there is any zone where time-of-day is within 8 - 6 business hours, and then routes the call to that zone, or, it might just be checking whether there was an agent logged in countrywide.

Bharti AXA IVR Announcement not consistent with Time-Of-Day

I called Bharti AXA Call Centre on 1800 102 4444 on Wednesday 7/Oct/15 at 8:30PM. 
To my dismay, there was a recorded announcement saying that the call center was closed and that I should call back Mon-Sat 9AM to 9PM. 
Fortunately, there was provision to request a call back, which I requested. 

I got a call from the BACC next day. I asked the agent why their announcement was not consistent with time of day. She checked with her supervisor, and came back with following explanation : 
"Sir, you are a valued customer, for you, the team works upto 8PM".
This certainly was an inappropriate explanation. 
I asked her why would you reduce the timings for high profile customers, she only said, "I understand Sir".
Most likely fact is that the Bharti AXA Call Centre has not changed its announcements to be consistent with its changed work timings. 

Do they care for the inconvenience caused ? 
Did not seem so from the attitude of the agent. 

I was so surprised at the inconsistency, I just could not believe it. I called from my landline, then from my registered mobile number, then again from my landline several times, then checked my clocks, then checked time of day on internet to be sure that clocks in our home were alright. So much anxiety and so much inconvenience, on top of it, frustration of a simple information not being available about the fund codes. It wasted my 45 minutes from 8:30PM to 9:15PM. 

I would urge Bharti AXA business to take its call centre to task for such a negligence. 

Activation of my ICICI NRE Account

My NRE account with ICICI account was inactive. 
I called their NRI Cust Care number 1800-102-5600 and connected to the agent. 

"You are speaking to Karthik. May I know your name please"
"Good Day, do you have my account details ?"
"Yes Sir, Thank you for validating yourself, it was a great help. How may I help you ?"
"I think that the account is inactive at the moment, can you make it active ?"
"Sure Sir, kindly please be online, I will check this for you."
Pause of 20 seconds
"Sir as in Indian Time from 12AM to 430 it is downtime Sir, Mr Shivanand. We are unable to place this  request to for that based of your account. I request you to please give us a call after three hours".
"Ok. Are you sure that the downtime will be gone, because I called before as well and ... "
"As in Indian time, 12 to up to 5 its a downtime."
"Everyday ?"
"Yes"
"Ok. Cool. But the IVR is able to reply."
"IVR is replying Sir, but for place the request, it is ... downtime."
"Ok right ho."
"Thank you Sir, thank you for calling the ICICI bank, have a nice day."

I called again just to verify the information given by Karthik. 

As usual, the agent asked me my name. I asked whether he had my account details, he said yes, but he needs to know my name. I contended that given that the IVR has stated that the Authentication is Successful, instead of asking my name, the phone banking officer (PBO) should actually greet me by my name. He said that it was for security purpose that he needs to know my name to ensure that it is the same person. I said then that you either do not ask me to punch in numbers and authenticate me personally, or, if you make me punch in the numbers and authentication is successful, then, you greet me by my name. The agent continued to insist that he needs to know my name, and I did not give it. 
I asked him about my last four transactions, and this PBO had the audacity of telling me to get it from the IVR. I told him that I was asking him my transactions to see whether he knew my transactions or not, rather than me wanting to know the transactions. 
Finally I asked him to make my account active, he said that the system that handles this request of activating the account, is down, and that I should call back or submit the request online after 6AM and before 12 Midnight. 


My Questions : 

- Why the PBOs are providing different timings of end of downtime ... 4.30AM, 5AM, and 6AM. 

- Why the PBOs, in case of successful authentication, are not greeting the customer by his name, or at least querying, "Am I talking to so and so ?". Asking the name of customer and using it as another security parameter, not only demonstrates lack of confidence in the authentication mechanism put in place, but also implies lack of diligence due to as flimsy a parameter as Name being used for security. If the caller knows the Account Number, the last four digits of Debit Card, and its ATM PIN, why would he not most likely know the Name as well ?? 

- This was the third time I was calling to activate my account. Why cant the bank have their PBO take my request for activating my account, and let their backend team process this request as and when the downtime is finished ? Instead, they are asking me to call again and again and again. 

;; Time take for this blog : 45 minutes

GPRS Activation on Airtel Mobile

I called Airtel Customer Service, 121, and asked the agent how can I get to surf the net on my mobile phone, and how to connect my laptop to my phone. He said that he could activate GPRS right away and that the best plan for me would be Rs 98 per month for 2Gb download and 0.30 paise for every additional 50Kb download, and that the service would be available on my phone within four hours. The monthly charge will be pro rated on per day basis, and the deactivation would be possible by calling the 121. For any help in connection with the laptop using cable or bluetooth, I could call 12118. The agent informed that I would be receiving SMS messages with the settings for my phone.
I asked him to activate the service. Soon after, I was able to surf the net. This was great !
Although I was able to start surfing the net from my mobile without waiting for these messages, still, the messages should have come say at the most within four hours. I got the messages late in the night at 3.35AM, and I saw them the next morning.
Had I waited for the messages, then, the service would have been usable only after at least (6:30 PM to 3:30AM) 9 hours ! That is too long a time.
In as much as I am delighted by almost instantaneous availability of the service, I am a bit unsure about whether the procedure at Airtel is actually good to make the service available so soon, or my phone per chance had settings enabling me to commence surfing right away. I guess it is the latter case.
I would like to hear your experiences with similar services.

Cappucino at Marriott Courtyard

I was with my friend at the Executive Lounge on level 15 at Marriott Courtyard. It was about 11AM on Wednesday 7th July 10. He ordered two cappuccinos to the lady in attendance. She went in, and then cam out and asked, as if unsure about what she had heard before, "Sir, did you order two cappuccinos ?". My friend answered in affirmative. About fifteen minutes later, a boy came with two cups of coffee, one had white froth on it, and the other had a dark brown thin froth on it. The boy placed the cups in front of us, the dark brown thin froth cup in front of me and the other in front of my friend. I commented to my friend, how come it was that the color of the two coffees was so different. He quipped, "they just love you more". I removed the thin froth in my cup only to find that the coffee was BLACK COFFEE, not the cappuccino my friend had ordered. I was so so so surprised and amused. One simple order, in a hopelessly up market hotel, could not be executed correctly, let alone with perfection.

24 hr Customer Care

When we read Customer Care, we expect a live person to be available to service our call. There may be an IVR, but eventually, there will be an option to talk to an agent. Otherwise, it should be known as Phone Banking, or Self Service, not Customer Care.

ICICI Bank advertises its 24 hr Customer Care Numbers. I called 98 1817 8000 (Delhi).

Welcome to ICICI Bank Phone Banking !
1 - English
3 - Information on Products
1-  Banking Accounts  
1 - Savings Accounts
Please wait while we transfer your call.
This call may be recorded for ...
Music
Thank you for calling ...
Advice re the opening times - M-Sat 9-8, Sun 9-6

That is not 24hr Customer Care !!!