Intentional | Audio Identity Blog

Netflix, the leading US provider of DVDs by mail (and more recently, movies on demand via the web) has put a stake in the ground when it comes to customer service: no more emails with “we’ll get back to you.” No more outsourcing the problem to a faraway country where language barriers can damage customer perceptions. No more oft-ineffective call-center-computers. All customer service issues are now routed directly to Netflix’s 100% human customer-service line, just outside Portland, Oregon.

Full story in the New York Times:

“Netflix’s decision to eliminate the e-mail feature was made after a great deal of research, Mr. Osier (VP, IT and Customer Service) said. He looked at two other companies with reputations for superb phone-based customer service, Southwest Airlines and American Express, and saw that customers preferred human interaction over e-mail messages. “My assessment was that a world-class e-mail program was still going to be consistently lower in quality and effectiveness than a phone program,” he said.”

Curious to see if the proof was in the pudding, I dialed them up. They promised a live human in 3 minutes, but actually delivered a live voice in under 10 seconds. This from a company that’s watching a well-heeled competitor (Blockbuster) creeping in on its turf and needs as many differentiators as it can get.

In this case, sound is the customer service — what’s done on the phone has a direct, immediate impact on brand perceptions and reputation. If Netflix isn’t betting the farm on the power of sound as a key channel in its customer experience, they’re at least betting most the cows and a chicken or two.

So…inevitably, this begs the question: how’s it going with your company, clients or notable household brands? Have you had to call your customer-service line lately, and if so, what sort of an impression were you left with? If things aren’t up to snuff, follow the lead of Netflix, as I’m sure they’ll innovate as the market demands.

(And should you need a world-class vendor to create a measurably improved customer experience, I may be able to recommend one. Wink.)