David's World

March 30, 2005

Bad human-company interfaces: Today's pick is British Telecom

A while ago, I listened to Ian Pearson, "Futurologist" at British Telecom, talk about how networks of computers will be ubiquitous - just like a computer in every cigarette butt, communicating with all the other creatures of the ash tray, to create a wireless mesh network (and maybe make life better for the tobacco industry).

Readers will find it surprising that while BT thinks every cigarette will be able to communicate, at this point British Telecom doesn't even manage to communicate with its customers efficiently.

I had to cancel a BT phone line (landline) this morning, and it took me half an hour to get through to a person and to convince them to enter these things into their computer for me. Turns out they have no e-mail address that I can write to, no fax number either, and a call centre that keeps me waiting for ages.

For the inclined, here's a brief history of what has happened:

Dave dials 150, goes through countless touch-tone menu options, is then kept waiting for minutes, gives up, redials some 0800 number. After more menus, Dave gets to speak to a call centre agent.

Dave: Hi, I'd like to cancel my phone line.
Agent: Are you moving home?
Dave: No, I'm not.
Agent: So you'd like to stop the phone line alltogether. May I ask why you'd like to do that?
Dave: Well, long story, what it boils down to is that BT made a mistake when they changed the account to be in my name, and they cancelled DSL internet on this phone line. So I got it through someone else and I don't need this line anymore.
Agent: So may I ask who is your new provi... (boring convo skipped...)
Agent: OK, I need to pass you on to another department, hold on please.
Dave: Will they answer right away or will they make we wait?
Agent: Oh, I don't know.
Dave: Because I've been waiting for quite some time to get through to you!
Agent: I apologise for that [more formulas], I don't know how busy they are over there. I just need to pass you on.
Dave: Hmm, OK.
... music is playing, repeatedly, for three minutes.
(The same) agent: Hello? Can I take your account # please... name please? ... address? ...postcode...?
... Can you hold on please?
... music is playing, for another two minutes.
(The same) agent: Hello Mr. Reitter? OK, you need to talk to the other department.
Dave: Well, I'm not really keen on waiting in line there again... why don't they just call me back?
Agent: Can I just give you this number? It's a direct phone number, it's 0800 (...)
Dave: No, I won't wait. cCuld you just give me their e-mail address please?
Agent: I'm afraid they don't have e-mail, you have to go through a website, [dictates slowly: www.bt.com], but see, in this case, if you'd like to cancel a line, they want you to do that directly, you know?
Dave: Well, I can sure send them a direct e-mail, directly from my desk?
Agent: Uuuh, I understand what you mean, but you need to tell them, you know, I mean, you know?
Dave: Why don't you give me their fax number?
Agent: Uuuh, I don't know if they have a fax, hmm, hold on.
... music is playing, for three minutes. I almost decide to hang up.
Agent: So, I'll take your request, I'm not really meant to do that, but let's see..
Dave: (very grateful!)

BT's call centre is a classical example of failed human-company interface (HCI)! Why the hell can't I send a signed e-mail to a telecommunications company? Why can't they just call me back? It's BT, calling back comes for free, and they could even schedule it. Instead, they make me talk to dozens of underpaid call-centre staff that are on their job for under 18 months on average. Good thing I cancelled BT's expensive landline.