We're diving into the chaos of customer service today, and let me tell you, it’s a real eye-opener. You've probably heard the line about "higher than normal call volumes"—well, who are they kidding? That’s just the new normal, and honestly, it feels like we’re all stuck on a never-ending loop of frustration. We chat about how systems are crumbling, apps are crashing, and it seems like the experts who once had everything under control have vanished, leaving us with a patchwork of digital duct tape holding it all together. So, how did we get to this point where nobody knows how anything works anymore? Join me as we unpack this mess and figure out what’s really going on in the world of tech and customer service.

Takeaways:

1. The current state of customer service is defined by overwhelming call volumes and inadequate staffing.
2. Our technology is breaking down, with apps crashing and systems failing to communicate effectively.
3. The experts who created our systems have mostly vanished, leaving behind a knowledge gap.
4. We're relying on temporary fixes and hope, as everything feels held together with digital duct tape.
5. The phrase 'higher than normal call volumes' has become a standard excuse for poor service.
6. It's clear that many organizations are avoiding the real issue - they need to hire more staff.

Links referenced in this episode:

1. jamesabrown.net

This is a Daily note from jamesabrown.net Call any company and you hear something similar.

We're experiencing higher than normal call volumes every day for years.

Who are they kidding?

That's not higher than normal anymore.

That is normal.

They just don't want to hire enough people to handle the calls.

Nothing works right anymore.

Apps crash daily, websites leak passwords, systems can't talk to each other.

The experts who built these systems, they're gone.

They're retired, late off, or replaced by contractors, googling solutions, and soon AI.

And nobody seems to know how anything actually works anymore, just how to restart it.

Now everything's held together with digital duct tape and prayers.

So what do you think?

How did we get here?

On that note, I'm James A.

Brown, and as always, be well.