STEP SEVEN

Recover from
Mistakes Gracefully

Recovery is making good on a mistake. No matter how hard you try, you, or the company you work for, can make an error. Think of a mistake as an opportunity to regain the customer’s loyalty. As you read in Step 2, customers who have a problem that gets resolved are actually more loyal than those who never had a problem at all.

The following are ways you can increase the probability that a customer will be forgiving.

Apologize

When you apologize, you are recognizing that a customer is dissatisfied. You are not necessarily apologizing for something you did, or even something that the company did. Maybe the customer had to walk a long way from the parking lot and wants you to know how long it took him to get there. You could say, “That was a long way for you to walk,” or “I’m sorry that you had to spend time walking that you didn’t anticipate.” It’s not your fault that the customer had to walk so far. The apology is simply to acknowledge the customer’s inconvenience.

However, if an error was made, an apology is essential. Equally important is determining who is responsible for what went wrong; for example, not having an item ready when promised or a product that doesn’t function properly. In those cases, an apology is in order. If the customer is upset about something that you’re not sure was the organization’s fault or if the concern is about a product dysfunction, you need to apologize for whatever the client had to endure. An apology is an expected part of customer service; it is not an extra. It is a common courtesy.

Fix the Problem

We have talked about problem-solving techniques, questions, and ways to stay positive in situations where you have to make good on a promise. The promise is the company or organization’s guarantee to deliver. Whatever promise was broken, or perceived to be broken, you need to fix it.

Whatever the customer thinks is a problem is one. Is the customer always right? No. However, the customer is always right in his or her mind. It’s not up to us to be the judge and jury. It’s not up to us to save the store: “Aha, I caught you. You broke that yourself.” It’s not up to us to question someone’s decision to return something or to register a complaint. Fix the problem as quickly and efficiently as possible. Exchange the merchandise. Give a credit. Avoid arguing at all costs because, in extreme cases, it will cost—possibly one person’s business for life, and word of mouth tales that might reach millions of people costing an untold amount of lost revenue.

Offer Something of Value

Although you may not be able to make a “peace offering” yourself, a token of good will is one way to soothe a person who is annoyed. This is not a ploy. It is a way to make someone feel better. Remember the goal is to make the customer feel good.

Customers have come to expect that something extra will be offered to them if they have been loyal to the organization. If you read posts on consumer websites, you will see comments from customers who want retribution with a gift certificate, movie pass, complimentary dinner, new computer, or refunds of expenses. Some consumers even want retribution when the mistake was theirs.

The following story is an example of shoppers who were incensed that a store did not offer compensation for their trouble. It also demonstrates how an exception could have saved a family a lot of discomfort. The drama and pain that companies can save customers goes far beyond dollars and cents.

Christina and her mom, Elaine, were shopping for a bed, which would be the first big purchase that Christina was buying with her own money.

The mother-daughter team saw a box spring and mattress they both liked. Elaine asked the salesperson if she had a headboard that would fit the box spring and mattress. The salesperson enthusiastically showed them a headboard that Christina loved.

Elaine wanted to be sure that the headboard would connect to the frame without any additional preparation or special equipment. She had nobody to assemble the bed. The salesperson responded by saying, “Sure! No problem! This headboard will attach easily.”

The next day, Sunday, all the items were delivered at 7:30 a.m. Although the drivers woke them up, Elaine and Christina were excited to get the new furniture. However, as soon as the deliverymen began assembling the bed, they discovered that they couldn’t attach the headboard to the frame because the assembly would require special bolts and supports. Mom and daughter were devastated.

Christina called the salesperson who sold her the bed. The salesperson said, “Oh, yeah, that’s happened before. You can go to the hardware store and purchase carriage bolts and have somebody attach it.” Clearly upset, Christina said, “I paid for delivery and set up! I don’t have anyone to help us with this, and if we do it ourselves, we might ruin the headboard.”

The deliverymen heard the conversation and were very understanding. They told Elaine and Christina that it might be best to go back to the store, and that it opened at 9:00.

Mother and daughter arrived at the store at 9:00 only to find that it didn’t open until 11:00. To kill time, they went out to breakfast.

When the store opened, they spoke with their original salesperson. She showed them headboards that “might work better.” Even though Christina could not understand why the salesperson didn’t show her “headboards that might work better” to begin with, she looked at the alternatives. She didn’t like any of them. She said that she would just return the headboard she had and she didn’t want another.

Then the salesperson recommended that Christina keep the headboard, but get a footboard from another set from the same manufacturer. Christina was frustrated, pointing out that the two sets didn’t match, not to mention the fact that they couldn’t assemble the headboard, which was why they were in the store in the first place. However, she was now warming up to the idea of having a footboard.

Christina found a headboard and a footboard that she liked. She asked if she could get the items for the price of a twin set rather than a standard. She explained that this would be within her budget, and expressed to the salesperson that she and her mom had gone through a lot of unnecessary trouble. The salesperson refused Christina’s request because she couldn’t key the correct numbers into the computer. Elaine figured that someone could determine how to make this exception and revise a standard price on the company’s computer. She asked to see a manager. In a very stern tone, the salesperson said, “We do not negotiate here. The prices are what they are.” Elaine was not able to get any further.

They left the store. Christina was upset, but Elaine said, “If this is the worst thing that happens to us in life, we’re lucky. It’s material stuff.” Christina was still upset.

On Monday, Christina’s boyfriend, Eric, came over and saw that she was still livid. He decided to take it upon himself to go to the furniture store. He saw the same salesperson, explained the story, and the salesperson said, “Oh, yes, I remember your girlfriend. I just happen to have a package of plates that might help. You put them between the bed and frame before it is bolted.”

Eric took the plates and went to Home Depot, where he purchased carriage bolts. When he got back to Christina’s house, Christina wasn’t happy. She didn’t want Eric to work on the headboard. She wanted to return it and buy a matching headboard and footboard from a different store.

Christina went to work feeling very stressed. Eric was mad because Christina wouldn’t let him fix the headboard. He wanted to help.

When the deliverymen came to pick up the headboard, Christina said, “This is the headboard from hell.” Hearing only a synopsis of the story from Christina, they nodded and said, “This isn’t the first time this has happened.”

A month later, Christina got a bill for an “exchange fee” for the merchandise. She received no consideration from the store when she explained that she did not exchange the headboard; she returned it because it could not be assembled in the way she was promised.

At the time of this writing, mother and daughter are still contesting the $60 fee.

How many “touch points”—or times the store could have pleased the customer—were ignored in this scenario? The last resort in this case is recovery since, from the beginning, the salesperson should have known about installation procedures or been truthful; we don’t know which. At the very least, the salesperson would have recovered by selling the merchandise for the price of a twin set rather than a standard, and some of the continued annoyance, family conflict, and distress might have been mitigated. People want to be compensated for what they consider to be unfair inconvenience. They want you to make good.

Give Coupons and Advance Sales Notices

Another way to show understanding of the customer’s inconvenience is to offer coupons, advance sales notices, information the customer might not have known about, or other bonuses.

Follow Up

A follow-up call is usually over and above what customers expect. When your consideration goes beyond the moment, it is appreciated, sometimes with surprise, but always with appreciation.

In contrast to Elaine and Christina’s story, here’s a recovery story sent to me by a friend.

My daughter wanted a particular poster for her college dorm. Walmart usually carries the poster but it was out of stock on the day we went to get it. A salesperson in the department said she would call the vendor and let us know when the poster was going to be back in stock. A few weeks later, true to her word, the salesperson called to say that the poster came in, and asked if we wanted her to hold it for us. Today, even high-end stores don’t go to that length for a customer! The next day, I called the salesperson’s supervisor to relay the story. I was assured that the salesperson would be verbally recognized at a team meeting, and that a letter of commendation would be put in her file.

Refer to Worksheet 7.1 for team discussion topics that will allow you to address issues of empowerment, teamwork, and customer satisfaction.

WORKSHEET 7.1

Resolving Conflicts

Instructions: Brainstorm these ideas without evaluating the suggestions that are made. List the ideas on a flipchart or take notes to distribute after the meeting.

What are some of our common customer conflicts?

 

 

 

How have we resolved the conflicts in the past?

 

 

 

Are there better ways to resolve any of the situations? What are they?

 

 

 

What are exceptions that each level staff member in our team can authorize?

 

 

 

What is the best process for escalating issues?

 

 

 

What is the best way to communicate the results of a conflict?

 

 

 

 

The Role of the Leader

If you are a manager or a leader in your organization, you can help your staff members by offering assistance in situations where customers expect more than they are getting, or more than what your staff can authorize. If you are able to approve an exception, the customer will appreciate the gesture. Not only will it foster goodwill, you will increase the chances for repeat business with the customer.

Work with your staff members for resolution of customers’ concerns. At times, managers make decisions without explaining their reasons to their staff. Sometimes they please the customer and displease the employee. You can avoid these circumstances by discussing your role with your team in staff meetings, and by deciding together how to best handle common situations. Of course, there will be times when you have to deal with situations that are not predictable. Judgment calls are a part of your responsibility as a leader.

Although taking responsibility is essential, motivating your staff is equally as important, and solving problems together can be motivating. Making decisions without explanations or follow-up with the staff member involved in the initial conflict can cause resentment. Be proactive and work with your staff. Explain that you are not overruling your team members when you approve an exception; you are making a decision to waive the rules based on the factors that you see. Let them know that you appreciate them when they try to stay within your rules and bring possible exceptions to your attention. Discuss the best way to communicate in difficult situations, and what you can empower them to do themselves. These types of discussions build trust among the whole team.

Put It All Together

Mistakes do happen. When they do, it is critical in customer service to apologize, fix the problem, and offer something of value to recover gracefully and retain customer loyalty. Understanding customer differences is also an important key to providing excellent service. Step 8 describes different personality types and learning styles, and gives you ways to respond to a variety of customer behaviors.