“Due to overwhelming demand for service, we are not able to take your call.”

“Our wait times for customer service may be longer than usual due to COVID-19.”

These caveats are typical of what you get these days on business websites and IVRs, even as the pandemic shows signs of plateauing.

COVID-19 has triggered a tsunami of demand for customer service. A flood of questions about payment deferrals, paycheck protection programs, COVID-19 infection, stay-at-home directives, shipment status, and more, are overwhelming contact centers, which are struggling to keep up.

For example, I called a retailer’s customer service , and was pushed to voicemail. I left a message, but never heard back. I then sent an email to them. Same result! No wonder customers are getting frustrated with many switching to competitors, something businesses can ill-afford at this time of economic uncertainty.

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