Why do they always do this?

[Aria]

Why do customers hold back critical pieces of information? This conversation and many like it have happened SO many times...

Me: Myself and I
Dealer: A store drone

Dealer: Hey, can you check this address for me? I entered it but it's not coming up.

Me: Mmm hmm. *enters it and a dozen units pop up, waving for attention* What's the suite number?

Dealer: Wait, it has suites?

Me: Mmm hmm, absolutely.

Dealer: Uh... one moment... *mumbling in the background* Oh, I found it.

Me: *sighs internally because he waited on hold for this* Anything else I can do for you?

Dealer: Nope, have a great night!

Me: You too.

Seriously though. Customers do this ALL THE TIME. Why? Whyyyyy? I don't understand...

[catcul]

I would tell you, but I don't have that information at this time.

[raudf]

Some of it is simply not thinking the information may be vital. Other times, I think they like making a person pry every bit of information from their cold, dead, fingers.

I was once asked by a newbie at MW repair what the most important part of the job of interacting with customers was.

Me: Asking the right questions.

Co: Really? Not being nice to the customers? Not getting the job done?

Me: Believe me, you can't get the job done without asking the right questions. Customers have a lot in common with combination locks.. if you don't have the right combo, you ain't getting in.

So, I set the newbie to answering the line and listened in. A big screen TV in home call. Polite, chipper, chirpy, syrup. Sugar and spice without a clue. Got stumped trying to figure out what the issue was, because the customer was a scatter-wit who didn't know how the heck to describe the issue themselves!

I proceeded to write down the questions down that Co needed to ask. You know, like "Is the TV powering on?" It wasn't. "Did the power light come on?" No. "Did you try plugging it into another outlet?" No.. customer did that while we were on the line and it worked. Custy was lucky the outlet went out without taking the TV with it!

[Flygon_Trainer]

And suddenly I understand why the "is the computer on?" questions are always asked during tech support...

[bainsidhe]

Yesssss, all the time. The response I get most often is "It's not working". That could mean anything from there is no power at all, or that it simply is't working the way the customer expected. And since I am working with a business, I rarely speak with the user themselves and I'm hearing all this second-hand.

[Kittykat]

I proceeded to write down the questions down that Co needed to ask. You know, like "Is the TV powering on?" It wasn't. "Did the power light come on?" No. "Did you try plugging it into another outlet?" No.. customer did that while we were on the line and it worked. Custy was lucky the outlet went out without taking the TV with it!

This is one of the main reasons ALL of my electronics are plugged into surge protectors.

[raudf]

The response I get most often is "It's not working".

Yeah.... my [sarcasm]favorite[/sarcasm] answer to the question of "What's wrong with your machine?" I learned early on to stop asking that question, so after, "How may I help you?" which also often got that response... *mutter* I'd ask, "What is your machine doing or not doing?" That usually at least got answers like, "It's not coming on," "It's not washing," "It's not sucking.." (Vacuum cleaners were FUN for the sewer-minded!)

These at least lead me in the direction of other questions I'd need to ask. The better the description of the problem, the less time the tech had to spend on the repair. Guess which one of us had to, because we were paid less? Not that I minded, because I started thinking about it like chess.. how many questions until I get a check, mate?

[scruff]

I always used to remind my team that it's not the answer to the question asked that is needed, it is the answer to the question behind the question that we need.
If Client Jim asks when the canteen opens, it's not that he's interested in when the canteen opens. It's that he's hungry.
"The canteen opens at noon." would answer the asked question.
"The canteen opens at noon, and the lobby in the building opposite that opens at 8am has a snack dispenser." is far more helpful. :-)

[notalwaysright]

Why do customers hold back critical pieces of information?

This is why I almost never do special orders. After we've gone through the process of searching the store to confirm we're out of some item, then deciding how much they want, answering questions about the sale price or using coupons, and putting their info into the computer, printing the order, then I find that they need it TOMORROW. So instead, one of the first things I ask is "when do you need this by?" It generally takes two weeks. We are a geographical oddity.

[raudf]

And suddenly I understand why the "is the computer on?" questions are always asked during tech support...

Because customers will call about their fridges being out... during a power outage. That's why.

[Catwoman2965]

This is why I almost never do special orders. After we've gone through the process of searching the store to confirm we're out of some item, then deciding how much they want, answering questions about the sale price or using coupons, and putting their info into the computer, printing the order, then I find that they need it TOMORROW. So instead, one of the first things I ask is "when do you need this by?" It generally takes two weeks. We are a geographical oddity.

I used to do this with my customers too, when trying to find something either in another store, or through the catalog. In the beginning, i'd do all the work, only to find out they were leaving for vacation at the a** crack of dawn the next day. And our store, along with all others, closed in 10 minutes. Then that won't work for you.

So I started asking first, before jumping through hoops. if they told me the same thing, i'd say well, then that wont' work but maybe we can find something else for you.

[Android Kaeli]

I used to LOVE playing 20 Questions with customers at Random Craft Store, because 98% of them always asked where something was but because the nature of many of the items in the store there could be five locations for five different things they needed. You would not believe the amount of conversations I've had like I did below:

Where's the [item they need]? Well, it depends on what you want to use them for.

I just need [item they need] Well we've got many different ones, what project are you working on?

I just need [item they need]! Then you need to go to either scrapbooking, floral, art, or the kids sections, because we have about five or six different kinds of [items they need], and I don't know what kind you need.