#Microblog Monday 544: Sludge
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Reading an Atlantic article about sludge (gift link) raised my blood pressure. I had the sensation of being on hold, waiting to speak to a representative so I could cross something off my to-do list. Reading about how creating frustration is part of the plan; it’s not a glitch or a problem with the system but it’s the system itself to make it as difficult as possible for you to take care of a problem made me want to quit society and move to an island inhabited only by sheep.
Someone should make a database of sludge-free companies with excellent customer service when there is a problem. So far, the only one I can think of is Chewy.
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2 comments
I have had great customer service with my Sklylight calendar. I emailed their customer service team about our son’s soccer schedule dropping from the calendar and sent them the links we were using. They troubleshooted it and somehow sent me new links for an external site that worked. I was really impressed as I feel like most companies would refuse to help with a website outside their control. I fear that they are growing quickly and the good customer service will fade.
I appreciate the call-back feature. I also recognize my good fortune of always having the ability to sit on hold while doing other stuff – I can outwait any system, as I learned while being on hold for 3 hours and in line for 7 during an airline cancelation meltdown. But the thought that it’s deliberate is infuriating (even though I will call, email, chat bot, and post angry reviews to get my problem solved).