Come On, Managers, Drop the Poorly Timed Cross-Sell
I just got off the phone with a customer service representative from Delta, and couldn't help but shake my head in disbelief.
I called to cancel a reservation and was completely put off by the fact that there is a $150 "penalty" to change my ticket. That's a story within itself. The reason I was surprised was this: Even though I was clearly annoyed by the absurd penalty, the agent made not one, but two cross-sell offers. Two!
I could hear the discomfort in his voice. I politely declined both offers, though I can guarantee that many people in that circumstance would have been curt at best. What I really wanted to do was shout into the phone, "Are you kidding me?! You're going to ask me to make a purchase now, when what I really want to do is tell your top management what a complete rip-off a $150 change fee is?!"
But this agent was simply doing what he was instructed to do by a management team that is clearly focused not on customers (or on employees), but on quotas. I can only imagine the turnover rate in Delta's contact center if employees are forced to offer cross-sells even to disgruntled customers, instead of being able to exercise their judgment and make those offers to satisfied customers who are significantly more likely to be receptive.
The last time I wrote about Delta was a glowing report from the air about its onboard Internet connectivity. That customer-focused service increased my engagement and likelihood for repurchase. But today's experience did the exact opposite.
My advice to contact center managers: Empower your agents to decide whether to make a cross-sell offer. It will most certainly improve employee satisfaction and retention, as well as customer satisfaction.
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