If you’re in a business that has customers or clients, you will eventually have a customer service problem. Sooner or later, someone on your team will fumble. The result—an upset customer.
Here’s how to recover the fumble and greatly increase your chances of keeping the customer.
1. Develop a customer recovery plan. Before they ever happen, make a sincere commitment to aggressively tackle customer service issues. Assign responsibilities so there is no guesswork about who is going to do what.
2. Respond quickly to the issue. Problems can fester with time.
3. Show real, sincere empathy for the customer. This is no time to preach about your company's rules and policies. Forget the rules. Do what is right.
4. Solve the problem creatively and exceed the customer’s expectations.
Take the Space Mountain incident involving a family from Arkansas vacationing at Disney World. The family was presumably enjoying the ride's twists and turns when the ol' coaster came to a screeching and unexpected halt. Maybe it was too much darkness or, when they turned the lights on, a fear of heights--whatever it was, the mom from Arkansas became hysterical. In time, everyone was safely removed from the ride. But mom pitched the mother-of-all fits.
The Disney folks stepped into action. It went something like this with one of the Disney cast members who was summoned to the scene: “I am so very sorry. I’m certain that was a terrible experience. It was our fault and it’s ruined your day. Let me ask you this. Is your family staying at one of our Disney properties?”
Upset customer: “Yes.”
Disney rep: “Would it be okay with you if we upgraded your room to a presidential suite for the rest of your stay? We could go to your room now and take of all of your luggage to the suite. You wouldn’t have to do a thing. Would that work for you?”
Upset customer: “I’m okay now. You don’t have to do all of that.”
Disney rep: “It would be our pleasure. We’ll take care of it right now. When you leave the park, go to the Polynesian desk and they will have your key waiting on you.”
When the family arrived at their luxurious suite, large Disney-character stuffed animals were in the room waiting on them--gifts to the children. Disney had made the customer service recovery, complete with a cherry on top.
Was it some spur-of-the-moment reaction to a customer service issue? No. It was Disney knowing that mechanical things like rides sometimes break down, that customers are going to be unhappy AND that it pays to have a customer-service recovery plan. Do you think the Arkansas family returned home to complain about Space Mountain. Or did they tell everyone about a trip of a lifetime?
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