Let’s get real: Cable companies are notoriously bad at customer service. Everyone hates having to wait for the cable guy to show up during a five hour time span that you could have spent doing a myriad of other productive things. Or how about when you need something fixed? Or if you need to change a service? Or what about those scary hidden fees? More often than not, regular ol’ consumers do not have the best comments to provide when it comes to the service of their cable providers. Luckily, some are working to change that mentality.

In an interview, Moshe BenBassat, CEO and chairman of ClickSoftware (News - Alert), revealed that the new generation of consumers, “will not have the time to do things we do today. They will not have the time to call by telephone, listen to beautiful music, when they are about to set an appointment for installation.” He described the ‘on hold’ process and how the new generation of customers will absolutely not tolerate the notion of waiting for anything. Therefore, cable companies need to ramp up their efforts to reach those customers who are leaving them for Internet TV providers.

ClickSoftware, a provider of automated workforce optimization solutions, recently cut a deal with DIRECTV to help it adjust its customer service management processes to cater to more modern consumers, consumers who require simple, stress-free installation processes and service calls. ClickSoftware’s web-based appointment booking will boost DIRECTV’s productivity and responsiveness with customers.

BenBasset continued, explaining that the new generation of customer, “will not understand why is it that they cannot log into the site of this company, click ‘appointment booking,’ tell them what the problem is, get options for the time they can send someone, click ‘yes’ on one of the options, and be done with it.” Admittedly, this reporter has already experienced this frustration, which is part of the reason she cut her cable service a few months ago. This exact issue is what ClickSoftware’s technology remedies.

With improved customer service software, perhaps cable companies will be able to increase their abilities to compete with Internet TV providers in this regard.

Juliana Kenny graduated from the University of Connecticut with a double degree in English and French. After managing a small company for two years, she joined TMC (News - Alert) as a Web Editor for TMCnet. Juliana currently focuses on the call center and CRM industries, but she also writes about cloud telephony and network gear including softswitches.

Edited by Juliana Kenny