We Chucked the Auto Attendant a Long Time Ago, and Here’s Why

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Come on! Is it just me, or do phone system auto attendants just drive you up the wall? More often than not, they feel condescending, counterproductive, and rarely actually let the customer get to who they need to talk to. Capstone has long done away with the auto attendant, and I’m going to tell you why we are never going back.

That’s Right, a Tech Company is Suggesting the Lower-Tech Solution!

I love technology, and I love using technology to help businesses become more efficient.

When I sit down with another business owner and we talk shop, the gears in my head start spinning when I can automate something and save them time and money. Nothing makes me sleep better at night knowing that I just saved someone hours a week by taking something complex and allowing software to handle a big portion of the tasks. It gives me chills just thinking about it!

Enter: the auto attendant.

Sure, it sounds like something that would be a big help. Heck, it’s got auto in the name!

Virtually every phone system these days comes with auto attendant features, some better than others. The idea is that when someone calls your company, the auto attendant can direct the call to the right department, provided that the caller has a faint idea of where they want to go.

It all sounds really good on paper!

Plus, if you want to get fancy, your phone system can usually do things like round-robin the call if it’s for your sales department or your support department, so everyone gets a fair shot to take phone calls throughout the day, or you can base it on schedules or shifts, and sometimes other options based on your needs. It’s all gravy, right?

Maybe for you!

For the person on the other end of the line, auto attendants are a wall. A barrier to entry. A doorman blocking them from getting to where they want to be.

Sure, there’s a certain threshold a business might cross where they legitimately need an auto attendant to drive customers to the right place, but we’ve found that in our industry, way too many IT companies force their clients through the ringer just to get support. It shouldn’t be that way.

For Capstone Works, we wanted to give our clients the fastest response they could possibly get, and that means being able to talk to a live human being within 15 seconds or less. No menus and limited prompts, no smooth jazz hold music; you call, and you talk to someone who can get you the help you need.

It Turns Out That We’re Not the Only Ones Who Despise Auto Attendants!

According to a survey in 2019, 90 percent of people polled said they’d rather talk to a live person than to an auto attendant or a bot.

That probably isn’t too much of a surprise, right?

If customer service, support, or relationship building is a big part of your business, it might be a good idea to reconsider the very first impression a customer might get of you if they decide to give you a call.

Here’s the kicker—it didn’t even overtax the team. Sure, we had to adjust and build some better internal processes around it, and make it easier for our staff to manage and escalate calls when needed, but it was such a small price to pay in order to give our customers the level of support and service that they pay for.

Do You Want Technical Support That’s Only Seconds Away?

I guess that’s a bit of an unfair question! Of course, we don’t just judge our value and that of our services based on how quickly we can answer the phone—our success is when our clients can grow and expand and get more done and make more money thanks to technology and thanks to our support.

If you are looking for an IT provider that you simply expect more from, give us a call at (512) 343-8891. You’ll notice the difference immediately.