Being in business for a certain length of time may make you an expert on YOUR business, but the reality is that humans and the society and world we live in is constantly changing. Therefore, customer approaches and expectations and experiences are constantly changing along with YOUR business competition. Its always a good idea to remind ourselves of how to deal with unexpected situations in advance of them occurring, so we bring our A game to the situation. Here’s a quick list of common customer service mistakes business owners make in handling customer grievances.
1. Fail to keep your promise & expect the customer to be happy when something unexpected occurs.
2. Say “I’m sorry, but…and list a litany of reasons why or demand why YOUR BUSINESS should be forgiven for this issue.
3. Do all the talking when you or your business or equipment has caused an unexpected problem.
4. Interrupt the customer to school them about their RIGHT to be upset.
5. Talk so long that the customer is forced to interrupt or talk over you to regain some sense of personal boundaries. �
6. Repeat your company point of view, when the customer is expressing their annoyance, disappointment, frustration with the UNEXPECTED situation.
7. Refuse to hear consumer feedback or how the customer is experiencing YOUR message.
8. Label something a customer says as condescending or patronizing.
9. Insist that whatever unexpected issue caused to you to FIX the problem is more important than the inconvenience it caused the customer to have the problem.
10. Try to school the customer about how they are thinking, feeling or reacting to YOUR screw up.
I’d say its really rare to have a customer react all warm and happy when you have the humbling BUSINESS responsibility of calling them to communicate that YOU are not going to deliver services on time or as PROMISED, killing the customer experience and changing the expectation. It’s also pretty damn foolish to argue with an angry person. You will just piss him/her off more. The only response when something goes wrong on YOUR end is I’m so very sorry for this inconvenience. “Is there anything I can do to make this situation better and save our business relationship?”
Yes, S-H-I-T happens. Yes, unexpected problems with people, processes, equipment, can unexpectedly occur. These things are apart of life. But since it’s YOUR company, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY when it does. Unmet agreements are still FUNDAMENTAL breaches in consumer trust because something promised is not going to happen. These situations CAN BE quite EASY to fix. But it’s all about how YOU the business owner HANDLE the unhappy client. Matter of fact you should just expect an unhappy client. It’s YOUR job and BUSINESS to help the situation be repaired. But you cannot repair a situation if you ASSUME whatever occurred has no impact on the customer or if you presume that impact should be considered insignificant to the customer.
YOU have NO EARTHLY idea what is going on for that individual. Nor is it your place to decide for the customer whether or not what’s occurred IS or ISN’T an issue for them. And no offense, but your POV in these situations doesn’t matter. Your expense to fix the problem, doesn’t matter. Your job is to satisfy the customer. PERIOD. It’s not the customer’s job to satisfy your emotions in these situations. You should automatically assume it is an ISSUE and YOUR I is to deliver the BAD NEWS in a respectful manner. APOLOGIZE and then SHUT UP after asking a very simple question “WHAT CAN I DO to MAKE THIS unexpected SITUATION easier to DEAL with?” And a word to the wise, only explain what the customer asks you. Answer in specifics, never generalities.
Now the BIG secret! YOU the business owner cannot REPAIR the broken trust in the relationship if you REFUSE to ASK or LISTEN to find out HOW to make the PROBLEM more tolerable to the customer. You may be GOD’s gift to the world in your field. You may give uncommon speed or service. But NO customer likes an ARROGANT business owner who tries to use YOUR choice of a business standard as a way to justify the fact that you simply didn’t deliver to YOUR standard. You want the customer telling positive stories about you. “Ya know, we had an unexpected problem, but George went above and beyond to fix the problem and makes sure I was happy in the end. I highly recommend them.”
Okay, so what if you say and do everything wrong from the CUSTOMER’s PERSPECTIVE in the customer service process. You have a bad day. The customer touched some psycho-emotional nerve. And you committed any of the above bad employee mistakes? If you want half a chance to keep the customer. And impede any NEGATIVE referrals that WILL occur for you. Simply deliver exceptional service by the new deadline. Say very little when the product or service is delivered other than “I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience and I hope we can find a way for this really rare experience or fluke to not ruin the potential of a good relationship going forward. I’d like the chance when you’re ready to re-earn your business.” Then simply give the customer time to forgive you. Forgiveness is in their hands. And provided they are happy with the long-term affect of your work, you are far more likely to be forgiven and open the door to future sales. After an appropriate amount of time follow-up.
