Do you approach customer service moments in your own life differently than you did prior to it being a part of your professional life? I realized that my initial feelings about having to call a company’s hotline have not changed, but my sensitivity to the quality of service is vastly heightened.
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Image courtesy of Brittany Lynne Photography
Recently, I set about the mundane task of retrieving dinner from a slow cooker. However, when I lifted the lid, the handle completely separated from the glass, severing the plastic piece that had held the two together. Using a knife to pry open the lid and access dinner, I made a mental note to call Crock-Pot. Days went by as I kept putting off making the call to inquire about a new handle. I realized that I was putting off the task because I was preparing myself for battle: rehearsing the story of what had happened, exactly how the handle had broken, why it rendered my machine unusable, and why I should be able to purchase a lid on its own rather than a new machine. In short, I was prepping myself for this rather straightforward service call as if I were going before judge and jury: I needed to “win” my “case” by presenting the proper arguments in order to resolve the issue in a satisfactory manner.
Now imagine my surprise when I finally made that call. I spoke with a lovely representative named Robin. After getting some basic information about my machine and hearing that the handle had suddenly broken (after owning it for 5 years) she did not hesitate to empathize, own the problem, and offer a resolution.
I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been to have your dinner stuck inside our machine! I’m sorry. That’s certainly not how things should work. Let me get your mailing address and I will have a new lid sent to you, immediately, for free.”
I realized that I, like so many customers, have been so conditioned by bad customer service experiences that I went into this call with unnecessary dread and an expectation that it would be an uphill battle. But Robin’s pleasant demeanor and textbook service skills quickly changed my outlook.
How many of your own customers begin contact with you like I did with Crock-Pot? How many are expecting a hassle? How many open the conversation with anger because they assume that’s the only way to get results? How many are not reacting to the issue at hand but instead to their assumptions about how their case will be handled?
These assumptions, while they may prove challenging, also offer outstanding opportunities for your team to shock your customers with the quality of your service. If your company is the one that breaks the streak of mediocre or poor service, you will become invaluable to your customers and they will not be able to wait to tell their circles of influence about how fantastically you met their needs.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]