Consumers are Complaining About “Sludge”

<img src="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dcr-apis/wp_contents/uploads/DCR-ADMIN/sludge.jpeg" alt="undefined" style="height: auto;width: auto"/> Do you remember the last time you were on hold for a long time only to be disconnected? Or perhaps you were directed to go through torturous, time-consuming administrative tasks to secure a refund? Consumers complain about slogging through an endless chain of referrals to one department and then another, repeating their complaints over and over. You might even find yourself talking to an AI agent before you can speak to a live agent. These are all examples of the “sludge” that we may face when dealing with both private companies and government agencies when simply trying to take care of our personal business. I was introduced to the concept of sludge by Chris Colin, who was <a href="https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910578/is-customer-service-a-bad-model" target="_self">a guest on KQED’s Forum podcast with Alexis Madrigal</a>. Colin recently published an article for the Atlantic called, “That Dropped Call With Customer Service? It Was on Purpose.” In the podcast, they give a number of suggestions for dealing with irritating interactions where everything seems to take longer than it should. One idea is to go “old school” by contacting the company via U.S. mail instead of phoning or emailing. Another is to write a bad review on social media or find the company’s marketing representatives on LinkedIn and ask them to help. Most people find that being referred to a chat feature when complaining is not effective. <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/" target="_self">Use Diamond Certified Resource to find top rated companies.</a> Related Articles <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/Guide/Savvy-Consumer/" target="_self">Your Guide to Being a Savvy Consumer</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/find-expert-advice/" target="_self">Get Expert Advice From Owners of Top</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/find-expert-advice/" target="_self">Rated Local Companies</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/membership/" target="_self">Become a Diamond Certified Preferred Member (Always Free</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/find-top-rated-companies/hub/ca/san-francisco-bay-area/" target="_self">Find Top Rated Companies in the San Francisco Bay Area</a>