Trapped in the Auto-Reply Loop

This is a true story about automated email replies gone wrong.

Update: this company has promised to make some major changes to their processes and communications per the user feedback received. Time will tell if that's true.

Using auto-reply emails to communicate with customers, in this case potential freelance employees, can have several significant negative consequences. I’m sharing my recent experience full of friction as an example where I craved a human to intervene and help answer a couple questions and provide me with some guidance. I could not have imagined it would go so poorly. 

Here’s my experience:

I was prequalified to work as a search engine evaluator, which sounded like an interesting short term gig. I did all the trainings and read the material as directed. I had a few questions, so I replied to the email they provided, which automatically created a ticket. There was no clear contact information anywhere on the website, and definitely no number to call, just one email link. One of my questions was about the pay rate which was posted as being lower than the minimum wage in my state, which puzzled me and as such, I asked for some clarification. I also asked where to find some specific training information within the portal.

A couple weeks passed, and I still hadn’t received any answers. Instead, I kept getting automated email reminders to complete my training and take the final assessment. There was a certain deadline involved, too, so I couldn’t put it on the backburner and continue to wait for a response from the company. Thinking they still might need time to reply, I studied hard in the meantime and decided to go ahead and take the test. I scored five points below the passing mark.

The next day, I received another auto email reminding me to take the test, even though I had already taken it. The email mentioned I could reply for feedback on my initial assessment outcome, so I did, and another ticket was created. The next day, I got yet another automated reminder to take the test. I replied again, hoping for feedback on my answers, and received another ticket auto response. 

A week later, with no responses to my open tickets and no answer to my minimum wage question, I decided to review the material again and retake the test since time was running out before the deadline. I didn’t pass, so I read the guidelines once again and used my third and final attempt, in haste. Still no luck and no feedback given.

An hour later, I received yet another reminder to take the test. I thought my three attempts were up and assumed I wouldn't qualify to work on the project. I felt like I was going in circles, with no human available to talk to. I realized I couldn’t do this anymore and decided I was no longer interested in the project. The amount of time I had spent this far was not worth it for me at that point. The endless friction became too much.

In my mind, I became deeply concerned about what communication would be like if I was selected for the project. I rushed into taking the assessment for the final time due to this concern. I wondered how long it would take for the automated reminder emails to stop. At this point, I was only interested in testing the system.

This experience is a perfect example of how an automated process can make someone feel like they’re going mad, trapped in a never-ending loop, with no human available to get involved. To be fair, they did offer feedback but they did not deliver on that offer and failed to reply.

I honestly hope this company never contacts me again. But I’m sure they will, via an automated reply. See what I did there?

Thinking about this experience further, here are some recommendations for better customer service:

1. Hybrid Approach: Combine automated responses with human follow-up. Use automation for initial acknowledgment and basic information, but be sure human agents are available to address any specific concerns.

2. Clear Communication Channels: Provide clear instructions on how customers can escalate their issues to a human representative if the automated replies are not sufficient. Be sure the provided link is being monitored, otherwise it defeats the purpose.

3. Feedback Loop: Implement a system where customers can provide feedback on their automated interaction, this way the company can improve and adjust the automation process based on real user experiences.

4. Transparency: Be transparent about response times and let customers know when they can expect a human to address their questions. Giving a vague timeline, or no timeline at all, is not helpful.

The learning lesson here is that while automated replies can provide efficiency and consistency, relying solely on them without human intervention can lead to frustration, negative perceptions, and a decline in overall customer satisfaction. Integrating both automation and personalized human responses can offer a more effective and timely customer service experience.

My experience was so poor with this company that I needed to write about it in order to release some frustration. I wrote this article roughly two weeks ago and today– guess what? I received yet another of the exact same auto reply emails! Still no human, still no resolution.

Where’s the unsubscribe link?