KQED's Forum Is Customer Service a Bad Model?
Jul 14, 2025
In this engaging discussion, journalist Chris Colin from The Atlantic dives into the world of customer service, describing the pervasive issue known as 'sludge.' He explores how businesses often design inefficiencies to deter consumer assistance rather than facilitate it. With entertaining anecdotes about harrowing phone menus and frustrating automated systems, Colin reveals the emotional toll on customers. He emphasizes the need for genuine human interaction and solutions to navigational challenges in modern service experiences.
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Car Trouble Sparks Service Saga
- Chris Colin's Ford Escape shut off suddenly while driving, creating a terrifying loss of control.
- Multiple garages couldn't diagnose the problem, sparking a long, frustrating customer service battle.
Sludge Wears Down Consumers
- "Sludge" describes intentional bureaucratic friction that frustrates consumers by design.
- Customer service often uses scripted empathy and obfuscation to wear down callers, rather than solve problems.
Metrics Drive Bad Service
- Call center metrics like average handle time incentivize representatives to hang up or transfer calls.
- These incentives create sludge without direct orders for bad service, forcing reps to game the system to keep jobs.
