Customer Service: Rules Are Meant To Be... Bent
Rules that involve customers are like walking on a circus high wire. You have to be very careful. You can lean to the left and to the right, and sometimes you have to. Just don’t go too far or you might fall off.
Management makes rules about how to handle customers, and then tells employees to abide by them. I don’t believe rules are meant to be broken, as the old saying goes, but I do believe you can lean, bend, tweak, modify, etc. As just mentioned, don’t lean too far, or you might fall off. This is especially important when trying to “save” a customer during a tough situation or confrontation.
In an empowered environment take a look at the customer situation you have before you. What do you have to do to make the customer happy? Will it hurt the company in any way, if you do? If you can create a win/win situation, there shouldn’t be a need to report to management – until after you’ve saved the customer.
It’s all about managing the Moments of Truth (contact we have with our customers) and creating Moments of Magic™.
Shep Hyken, CSP is a professional speaker and author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com – Web: www.hyken.com – Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs (www.TheCustomerFocus.com).
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2 comments:
here's a possible companion rule for "Managing the Moments":
list the most kinds of moments you most frequently have with clients/customers and rate them on the continuum of boring/interesting
and/or irritating/delighting.
Then consider how you can eliminate the ones atthe negative end (or reduce their negative impact) and increase the number and the intensity of those positive moments.
Last week I reviewed the steps a client must go through when getting a mortgage.
With fresh eyes, the mortgage broker realized she could reduce the number of negative (time consuming and/or boring) moments by 25%.
That, alone, helps differentiate this broker in a softening market.
Love your blog by the way.
Here's a possible companion rule for "Managing the Moments":
list the most kinds of moments you most frequently have with clients/customers and rate them on the continuum of boring/interesting
and/or irritating/delighting.
Then consider how you can eliminate the ones atthe negative end (or reduce their negative impact) and increase the number and the intensity of those positive moments.
Last week I reviewed the steps a client must go through when getting a mortgage.
With fresh eyes, the mortgage broker realized she could reduce the number of negative (time consuming and/or boring) moments by 25%.
That, alone, helps differentiate this broker in a softening market.
Love your blog by the way.
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