During the course of everyday business, many of you encounter unsatisfied customers. How you and your staff handle these situations, will shape your service image and ultimately your bottom line. How can you best handle challenging situations? I have developed and practiced a simple method for just such encounters. If you follow the steps listed below, you will greatly improve the likelihood of achieving positive resolutions to challenging situations.
Make a Connection
Shake hands and introduce yourself. An introduction will add a personal aspect to the situation that can alleviate some hostility or anger that might surround the interaction.
Acknowledge concern and show understanding.
Get engaged in solving the problem.
Respond only in a positive manner to negative feedback.
Ask for information
Clarify the issue.
Ask probing questions,gather information and clarify the issue.
Show understanding of the problem.
What can I do for you?
Discover what the customer needs to be satisfied.
Suggest
Offer a solution not an excuse.
Shift from the problem to the process for resolution.
Offer a choice between several options.
Involve the customer in determining the solution.
Explain any limitations if there are any.
Check for Agreement
Offer the preferred option and ensure customer understanding and support of the agreement.
Explain the next course of action.
Take Action and Deliver
Produce the agreed upon solution.
Look for ways to provide a meaningful extra touch and turn a poor memory into a positive one.
Evaluate
How could this situation have been avoided?
How could it have been handled better?
What skills can be trained as a result of this interaction?
Reconnect
Follow up with the customer.
Ensure that the customer is satisfied with the resolution.
Solicit feedback for improving service.
Offer a sincere "thank you" to your now satisfied customer.
Superior customer service is one of the most difficult deliverables facing the business world today. Why? Because employees do not take service personally and your customers do! Shift your perspective about service and make it personal. Ask yourself and your staff, "How many customers can we afford to lose today?" I am confident that if you train and instill my simple steps to "mastering" challenging customer situations, you and your business will see tremendous results. Remember, service is more than just a word, it is a necessity!
© Anthony Mullins
Elite Coaching Alliance 2005
Anthony Mullins is the President and Coach for The Elite Coaching Alliance. He specializes in leadership development, strategic planning, 1-on-1 coaching, facilitation and inspirational speaking. He is the author of the upcoming book "Leadership Links." Anthony can be reached by e-mail: anthony@elitecoachingalliance.com
Visit his website http://www.elitecoachingalliance.com
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
Every customer you have is a word-of-mouth advertiser for you.... Read More
You've heard it all before when it comes to stats... Read More
Two situations, two perfectly acceptable experiences, but in one case,... Read More
Whether you are a seasoned small business professional, or you... Read More
A couple of years ago I had a call from... Read More
A general counsel of a large international consulting firm told... Read More
The defintion of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) that I favor... Read More
Customer service is an essential component of any business. Clearly,... Read More
"Society is always taken by surprise at any new example... Read More
How often has your schedule been thrown out of whack... Read More
One of the basics of acting taught to me in... Read More
The primary objective of a business is to get and... Read More
'A 5 percent increase in customer retention increases profits by... Read More
Do you have good customer service? Even for your free... Read More
Jay instructed a customer of his to offer a rare... Read More
When you make a mistake with a customer, should you... Read More
It all started a couple of weeks ago when a... Read More
Many years ago, I was a first year apprentice assigned... Read More
I call it the "wave and roll."You walk up to... Read More
Is customer service a lost art? Before you answer that... Read More
Looking For Ways to Improve Sales and Customer Relationships?Find Out... Read More
"Thanking your customers" - Why you should do it and... Read More
$350 million in bad checks are written each and every... Read More
The Reason Why Direct Internet Marketers Have To Work So... Read More
Nobody likes to get complaints. They make you question your... Read More
With all of the recent data theft in the financial... Read More
You probably spend a great deal of your time looking... Read More
There are five techniques that have been proven to be... Read More
Customer retention is vital to a business. If you cannot... Read More
A growing number of individuals are finding themselves called to... Read More
Looking for hi-fi computer peripherals? Finding it tough to decide... Read More
First of all let's look at what customer service is... Read More
In today's competitive world of retail, many stores are implementing... Read More
"Right, People. Let's blast out that mail campaign we've been... Read More
Call center solutions solve a range of age-old problems. As... Read More
What do your customers experience when they interact with your... Read More
Have you ever called a company and been greeted with... Read More
The Call Center world is an intense pressure-driven environment continually... Read More
How often has your schedule been thrown out of whack... Read More
Listening is the #1 communication skill for leadership, selling, customer... Read More
Why do some businesses offer points, stamps or every tenth... Read More
Oh, what has happened to the carbon-based organizational interface? Many... Read More
If you've called for customer service recently you're familiar with... Read More
Businesses that fail, often forget to seek out the customer... Read More
I'll always feel warmly about Conrad's restaurant, in Glendale, California.On... Read More
CRM was supposed to bring companies closer to their clients.... Read More
Good customer service just isn't enough anymore in the marketplace... Read More
The buzz is all about customer service and call center... Read More
Customer satisfaction is valuable, but customer loyalty is priceless. In... Read More
You've been going 6-to-late; exhausted by running the supersonic treadmill... Read More
When you make a mistake with a customer, should you... Read More
Those of us in home based and small businesses are... Read More
It's never too soon to start saying thanks to your... Read More
Customer service is everything to a business. Just look at... Read More
Are wholesale buyers and retail customers really different? Frankly, there... Read More
Regardless of what business you are in - you are... Read More
Reality is not always pretty. But here is a tad... Read More
Customer Service is a blessing and a curse; a blessing... Read More
You have no doubt heard the saying that the customer... Read More
You know how it is, you believe something for so... Read More
Service can be described as a "performance" of some kind... Read More
Having been in business a number of years, I'm amazed... Read More
"Mountains are built one pebble at a time and climbed... Read More
As an entrepreneur, I'm always intrigued by small businesses, home-based... Read More
A general counsel of a large international consulting firm told... Read More
This article offers five ways to help you deal with... Read More
Customer Service |