Suggestion Box

[LavendarBlue]

It's only Dec 3, but apparently, the customer service department is already severly understaffed. I was on hold, listening to scratchy interference/ music, for 22 minutes before a rep came on the line.  She was gracious, which was nice, but QVC really needs to hire more help!

[febe1]

Most people won't wait longer than 1 minute and 47 seconds on hold @LavendarBlue. I'll wait longer if I'm on speaker in the kitchen doing things. But I wouldn't be around for 22 minutes. You've got a lot of patience....

[KYToby]

Having spent years working in call center operations and workforce management, I could speak volumes on call center staffing strategies, provide a cost/benefit analysis of hold times, and speculate as to what caused such an increase in wait times, but that would bore most people, and others would continue to complain.

Ultimately, things happen to drive up hold times.  This may not be staffing related per se, but it could be due to system issues which drive up call handling time, customer demand, bad forecasting, or a number of other issues.  Ultimately, though, it is important to remember that certain times of day and certain periods of the year have higher call volumes than others which can increase hold times.  Companies cannot staff for all temporary increases in nvolume (or handle time) because that will ultimately lead to overstaffing. 

While overstaffing is great for peole who never want to wait, it drives down staffing ultilization, leaving idle agents, and driving up costs significantly.  Higher costs in the call center results in higher costs in products, and very few people are willing to pay higher prices.

[CAMOGIRL]

Since I have no patience - I would of given them 5.

[ValuSkr]

I guess they aren't kidding when they say "our lines are busy, please use automated ordering (or online, or any of the other ordering methods)."

[Tantallum]

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@KYToby wrote:

Having spent years working in call center operations and workforce management, I could speak volumes on call center staffing strategies, provide a cost/benefit analysis of hold times, and speculate as to what caused such an increase in wait times, but that would bore most people, and others would continue to complain.

Ultimately, things happen to drive up hold times.  This may not be staffing related per se, but it could be due to system issues which drive up call handling time, customer demand, bad forecasting, or a number of other issues.  Ultimately, though, it is important to remember that certain times of day and certain periods of the year have higher call volumes than others which can increase hold times.  Companies cannot staff for all temporary increases in nvolume (or handle time) because that will ultimately lead to overstaffing. 

While overstaffing is great for peole who never want to wait, it drives down staffing ultilization, leaving idle agents, and driving up costs significantly.  Higher costs in the call center results in higher costs in products, and very few people are willing to pay higher prices.

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All well made points and I would wholeheartedly agree if she was talking about a 5-7 minute wait.  HOWEVER 22 minutes is ridiculous.  Having enough staffing so a paying customer does not have to wait 22 minutes is surely not "overstaffed".  FWIW I am the director of a 24/7 call center.  

[stevieb]

Guess they never heard of holiday temps. Looks like all those call center layoffs are coming home to roost. Unfortunately, online 'chat' is essentially useless.

[apple1964]

I have been on hold longer then 22 mintues. I had finished reading a book waiting for CS to come on. A very small book but, a book so I have a lot of patience at times.