Client Experience Nightmares: Tales from the haunted helpdesk

Welcome to The Happy Client!

Written by our Director, Anna Lake, this monthly newsletter shares insights, ideas and inspiration to help you build stronger client relationships and create move value for your business. If you're not already subscribed, click here to never miss an issue!

This month we’re stepping into the spine-chilling world of customer experience nightmares. These aren’t spooky stories; they’re real-life horrors that haunt clients every day. Let’s explore two terrifying tales that remind us why great service is more than just a treat.

🧟 The automated call loop of doom

You dial the number. A robotic voice greets you. You press 1. Then 3. Then 2. Then back to 1. You scream into the void, “I just want to talk to a human!” But the loop continues, dragging you deeper into the abyss.

Why it’s scary:

Automated systems can be helpful until they become a maze with no exit. When clients need an issue resolved, nothing is more frustrating than being passed around like a cursed relic. The inability to reach a real person can turn a minor issue into a major meltdown. I have had recent experience of this with Sky Mobile and it’s beyond annoying!

The lesson:

Make sure your clients can reach a human when they need one. Whether it’s a live chat (with a real person on the other end), a direct line, or internal processes where colleagues return the calls of clients during periods of absence, human connection is key to overcoming client frustration.

🕸️ The inconsistent portal of peril – a GWR tale

I booked a train journey with Great Western Railway and then my plans changed. I logged in to adjust my trip. I could change the outbound leg online, so far so good! But the return leg required an exchange on both Live Chat and WhatsApp, re-purchasing a new ticket and waiting and hoping the one no-longer required would be refunded.

Why it’s scary:

Inconsistency in experiences creates confusion and erodes trust. If one part of a process is smooth and the other is a labyrinth, clients feel irked to say the least. We hear this a lot in our listening work, clients who have a great experience with one area of a business, but quite the opposite with another. This leads to frustration for clients and lost revenue for you if clients decide to take part (at best) or all (at worst) of their work elsewhere. Living where I do, I am bound to GWR for certain routes so can’t choose an alternative but if I could, I would.

The lesson:

Consistency is key - in product and service-based business, every touch point matters. And when it comes to professional services, although clients say they buy the people rather than the firm, they do expect a base level of consistency when dealing with different parts of the firm. A seamless experience isn’t just nice, it’s expected.

🕯️ Don’t let your service be a source of nightmares

This Halloween, take a moment to audit your client experience. Are your systems intuitive? Can clients reach you easily? Where do the points of friction lie and what can you change to smooth the path for clients?

Because when it comes to CX, the real horror is losing a client to a competitor who makes things easier.