Marsha Collier

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@BuyDirectUSA Frankly, I've just about given up on good customer service. #custserv

If im angry i just ask for a supervisor I can yell at. I tell the reps I know you dont get paid enough to get abused but your sup does lol. I dont yell but it gets me up the chain sooner. If that doesntvwork i find the emails to the company officers and or social media channels. I state facts only, no threats but I do my bestvto teach them about the cost of bad PR if a post goes viral. We have a couple of power companies but it still feels like an illegal monopoly. #custserv

Q7 | #custserv Do customers expect too much today, or have companies lowered the standard for great service?

@inababi I remember back in the day when PayPal had me speak at a dev conference about actually caring for the customer. Somebody cared back then. #custserv

@MarshaCollier More complicated. And startups monetized this which has created the worst incentives to actually care vs checking the box

Q5 | #custserv Customers today have more ways to reach companies than ever before. Has that improved the customer experience, or just made it more complicated?

@GregOrtbach @curtbuthman @BuyDirectUSA and include the #custserv hashtag!

@MarshaCollier @curtbuthman @BuyDirectUSA See you next time! And please reply to any of tonight's questions to keep the conversation going. #custserv

If you missed tonight's #custserv (customer service chat), please check our posts for tonight. There's a lot of wisdom there. Join us for the next chat on July 28. Thanks for the special insights this week: @curtbuthman @GregOrtbach @BuyDirectUSA

@GregOrtbach That's the way it should work! #custserv

A9 | #custserv Keep AI as an assistant for employees. When it helps representatives find answers faster, summarize conversations, or eliminate repetitive work, everyone benefits, including the customer.

A10 | #custserv Focus on seamless escalation. Let technology handle the routine, but make it effortless to reach an empowered human when the situation calls for judgment, empathy, or flexibility. The future isn't AI or people; it's knowing when to use each.

I think we need to take a few steps back and bring humanity to customer service. Make the customer feel understood. It's all about empathy and AI always sounds so fake. (Agreeing with everything you say then not performing well). #custserv

@curtbuthman They even know which table we like to sit. #custserv

@MarshaCollier Yes, when a high- end restaurant keeps my data, knows my name, knows my preference and appreciates my business. #custserv

Q9 | #custserv What’s one recent innovation in customer service that you hope is here to stay?

Q10 | #custserv If you could redesign customer service for the next decade, what would you change first?

@GregOrtbach You mean when you actually had a customer rep for your account? Ahhhh, those were the glory days of customer service. #custserv

A8 | #custserv I'd bring back proactive ownership. Years ago, it often felt like one person stayed with your issue until it was resolved. Today, customers are frequently passed between systems, departments, or channels. Ownership builds trust.

@curtbuthman So what's your problem? #custserv

@MarshaCollier Gone are the days when you could walk into an establishment, bang on the counter and ask to talk to the manager. They just look blankly at you #custserv

@GregOrtbach I really miss kindness and empathy. I go to my favorite restaurant not because they have the best food or lowest prices. But they make us feel like home everytime we're there. #custserv

Q8 | #custserv What part of today's customer experience would you most like to bring back from the past?

@GregOrtbach There are more bargain hunters in today's market and you can't expect those with the lowest prices go along with five star customer service. #custserv

@MarshaCollier A7 | #custserv Expectations have risen because customers compare every experience with the very best brands they interact with. At the same time, some companies have accepted "good enough" service because automation makes it easier to scale. Both sides have changed.

@BuyDirectUSA Oh boy! You are so right. Monopolies are the worst. Yet didn't they used to be illegal? We have no choice of vendors in many areas. #custserv

@MarshaCollier A7. Both. People act like children to customer service reps who are highly limited in what they can do for the customers. Some companies coukd care less of there is no competition like utilities and Healthcare. #custserv

@curtbuthman It's sad that so many businesses have turned the corner. #custserv

@MarshaCollier I’m honestly shocked when I get good service, Igo in expecting to be disappointed #custserv

@GregOrtbach Customers do get frustrated! #custserv

A5 | #custserv More channels don't automatically create a better experience. Customers don't care whether they contact a company by phone, chat, email, or social media; they care that they don't have to repeat themselves every time they switch channels.