Skype - This is "Improved" Customer Support?
Skype's COO recently told Rupert that Skype is really only interested in providing support to paying customers, and in fact they really aren't interested in doing that either, what they really want is to "eliminate the need for support". I don't think I have ever heard a more idiotic statement than that in the computer business... but perhaps, if they would at least try to do what they say, things might improve...
Or not. Here is an article, hot off the press, just posted yesterday, recounting the experiences of a paying Skype customer. The summary:
- Made contact with an old friend, decided to try using Skype to stay in touch, as it was the obvious and well-known choice.
- Billing problems, filed support request, got totally irrelevant reply after several days wait.
- Resubmitted support request with clarification, got an even more ridiculous reply
- Repeat above sequence for several more cycles, with the customer spending more and more time on the phone and email, with the bank and credit card company.
As yet, it appears that all attempts to solve the problem with Skype "Customer Support" have done nothing but make the situation worse, and increase the anger and frustration of the customer.
This is NOT an isolated case - and this one didn't even come from the Skype "Community". There are many, many more just like it in the Skype Community, where some of the most active threads have subject such as "Why is Skype support so awful", and "What's wrong with Skype support".
It certainly appears that the new CEO and COO are doing a bang-up job of improving Skype's abysmal "Customer Support"... NOT! Of course, the CEO has "only" been on the job about a year now, and the COO "only" about six months... I suppose it takes a lot longer than that to find someone who can pick up a phone and give an intelligent answer...
jw 21/10/2008