Have you ever faced a situation where automation, supposedly a time-saver, ended up making things more complicated? Here's a story about a company called Referral Rock, which could have used a bit more of that human touch.

Referral Rock specialises in managing referral and partner schemes. They prefer getting people to check out their software directly, rather than offering personalised demos. In theory, this sounds efficient, but let's dive into what this really meant for me as a customer.

Last week, I signed up for a webinar and promptly received an email asking if I had any questions. Great start, right? So, I replied with six questions. But it turned out that the email was a no-reply address. My carefully thought-out questions vanished into the ether. Already my time had been wasted pointlessly.

The webinar itself was marketed as a live pitch, but it turned out to be a recording. I tried interacting, asking questions in the chat where they promised agents were on standby to respond. You guessed it - no response.

Not one to give up easily, I hopped onto their live chat on the website. Again, no luck, probably due to the time difference, as they're based in America. Finally, they suggested booking an in-person demo, but the earliest slot was four days away.

The whole experience got me thinking - isn’t automation supposed to streamline processes and save time? In this case, it did the opposite. It sent me round in circles, leading to a frustrating customer experience. It was a classic case of automation for the sake of automation, without a thought to how it actually impacts the customer.

Efficiency is fantastic, don’t get me wrong. But when it's at the cost of good customer service, it can sometimes end up being counterproductive. Instead of being processed efficiently, I found myself in a maze of digital dead ends.

So, what's the takeaway here? Customer facing automation is incredibly useful and has the ability to save you a lot of time, but it has to be thought through. You can’t just replace human interaction with a machine or software without considering the ramifications. If it doesn’t improve your customer service, don’t bother.

Automation should make things smoother and cannot leave your customers feeling frustrated.

In summary, while automation can be a real game changer to you and your team, it’s essential not to lose sight of the human element. A blend of efficiency and personal interaction is what truly makes for a winning customer experience. Remember, in the end, it’s all about making life easier for your customers, not just you.

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