Great Customer Service is not Punitive

Good customer service has the needs of the business in balance with the expectations of the customer.  It’s fairly understood by most rational, reasonable people that if something goes wrong, then a company with good customer service policies will make things right.

Making things right by punishing people is not the only way to make things right.

This type of punitive-damages policy assumes that if something is wrong, then someone in the business must be scolded, fired or otherwise punished in order to make things right.  Such a way of working does not address the first and most fundamental goal of customer service, which is to take care of the customer’s needs and reset expectations.

You have heard this before, “I can’t do anything unless I know who did (it),” which is a huge cop out.  So, let’s get into solutions and how your business can implement the right foundations in your customer service.

Prepare to hear and ask for feedback. I’m not a huge fan of the section of my paper receipts that asks for a 20 minute survey in exchange for a chance to win some prize – but – the attitude is right. It doesn’t matter what business you’re in, how big or small time. You must be open to feedback (both positive and negative) and demonstrate it by asking.

When you are approached, seek to hear and understand the concern first.  No one likes to be ignored, especially as a paying customer.  Expressing your concerns takes a degree of bravery, particularly when it comes to anticipating future service.  So ensure that your team is giving their full attention to the situation by listening and really comprehending what concerns are being shared.  A complaining client is not great but a complaining client who won’t complain to you is worse.

After hearing the complaint, apologize. And be sincere. This doesn’t mean you have to admit fault but you should certainly find some way to empathize with the client.  You may end up saying “I’m sorry we’ve misunderstood each other,” or “I’m sorry; this situation must be very frustrating for you.”

Make small gestures to ensure the client is comfortable while you work out the situation.  Even the smallest acts of goodwill go a long way when it comes to hearing a concern. In person, this could be a cup of hot coffee and comfortable seat and if distanced, it could be calling at a time convenient to the client and noting their call back number while assuring that, if disconnected, you’ll call them back to continue the discussion.

Find common ground in the conversation, whether that is an outcome that you both want or a change to the relationship.  As you might tell, these are very general suggestions which you can tailor to your business.  Often times, you’re going to disagree on the course of action or the specific steps but by agreeing on the outcome, both parties will have an incentive to find a path to the right solution.

Solve the complaint and let the client know what to expect. Depending on the size and scope of your business you’ll need specific directives for your team who handle customer complaints in regards to what they are allowed to authorize on behalf of your business.

It’s very important that this is a two way conversation as the team who stands on the front line between you, the policy maker, and the customer, the policy perceiver, is an incredible asset.  Listen to what your clients are telling you and how they reach to your customer service and make appropriate changes.

Most customers don’t expect things to go perfectly all the time, but the decision point when it comes to alienating or winning over the individual happens at the customer service interaction.

Allow me to illustrate this process with an example from my recent experience.

One of my favorite airlines to fly is JetBlue;  their flights are typically on time, affordable, direct without extended layovers, I get Directv in my seat, and they have yummy terra chips. However, on a recent flight my luggage was MIA at the return carousal and when I finally made my way to the missing baggage claim, my experience went downhill fast. Far from being greeted and welcomed, as is customary at the JetBlue ticket counter and gate, I was ignored (there was no other customer in the office of 4 people) for 5 minutes.

Once someone agreed to hear my request (do you see how this is already violating the first few principles?) I stood in front of a desk, awkwardly, while the agent looked at the computer blankly for awhile.  In my less than subtle way I pulled a chair over and sat commenting, “sure, it’s been a long day and I am tired, I will take a seat while you look into this for me.”

Now, I’m not an airline customer service expert nor do I play one on TV but lets re-imagine this scenario: I’m tired and worried that I’ll be in New York without my carefully packed luggage all week. I walk into the lost baggage claim and experienced a warm smile and hello, an agent showing me at seat and asking “How can I assist you this evening?” Once I explained my concern, a sympathetic and genuine response such as, “I’m so sorry that you haven’t received your luggage yet.  Let me check into this while you relax for a few minutes.” This could be followed by some information on what would be happening with my request, “Would you like a bottle of water while I check your ticket for notes and contact the ground crew? I’m sure we’ll be able to locate your luggage and if not we’ll take care of you until we can deliver it to your local hotel.”

That would leave me not just feeling understood and supported, but with a clear understanding of what I could expect. These simple changes would re-frame the entire conversation (and this would be a different article and maybe more like this rave of Enterprise Rent a Car) and give me an amazing experience.  As the business owner, you have this chance to set my expectation for the rest of the interaction.

Eventually my luggage was located and retrieved but throughout the experience I was frustrated, worried and concerned – all feelings that could have been avoided with proper customer service.

Before your customers are experiencing negative emotions associated with your products or service and are complaining, either publicly or in private company, spend some time ensuring that you have the right foundations for customer service.  Because what your clients really want is to be understood, hear empathic responses, be comforted and know what to expect. Simply punishing someone who screwed up is not enough nor should it be the focus of your interaction.

With the right foundation to your customer service experience you may find that complaining customers handled with respect become raving fans!