Learning how to say "I'm sorry" when you don't know something or when your actions have caused an unintended upset is important.
Yet the expression is not a substitute for thoughtful action. There are instances when the expression is used automatically and possibly to give yourself permission not to follow through with your customer's inquiry.
Why would anyone behave that way? Most importantly, why would a company behave that way when we're more anxious than ever about losing touch with our customers? [For an interesting set of stats see Logic+Emotion, where David Armano reports on a Bain & Company survey results.]
The best place to keep a customer is usually when they need you. And the best way for customers to need you is to make yourself indispensable or irreplaceable. There are many ways to do that, from adding value to providing a product that nobody else has. The most obvious and seemingly difficult area to conquer is on the customer service side.
As I said in my comment to David's post: CRM and all the other acronyms are tools. What matters is who is using them. We should learn to ask the right questions. If I do sound passionate about the human side of work, it's because I am. So many times I have met exceptional individuals -- gifted and amazing on a personal level -- who get left behind.
There are many ways to be discouraged from doing what's best in an organization. A customer service manager who gets it and behaves accordingly with customers is only one person. She can honestly say "we're in this together" and let your customers guide her, yet your company may still not come through.
In my weekly post at FC Expert blogs I ask a simple question: can you teach service? What do you think -- can you?
Valeria,
One may teach the technical aspects of service. I expect in the right conditions, maybe even get people to 'good service'.
One cannot teach just anyone great service skills. The challenge is finding and connecting with the individual that is passionate about providing great service. One with a servant's heart. Then the teaching really becomes 'uncovering' or 'unveiling' what the person was born to do. This is where good becomes great.
Having the 'passion for the game' is what propels those that are the best in service.
Posted by: Joe Raasch | April 05, 2007 at 10:34 AM
Teaching soft skills effectively, I would suppose is best done as not a formal process ...but as an ongoing aspect of the customer service dept. manager's job by well...playing a good coach. N'est pas?
Posted by: Mario Vellandi | April 05, 2007 at 11:55 AM
Joe -- I agree with you. As I wrote in my FC post, the organization needs to provide the example as well. I have seen too many great people who "get it" be ground to bits in the system.
Mario -- yet I still feel that the whole organization needs to support great customer service. It cannot be just one pocket. Many times the reps are right on... yet the business people will not give them what they need (read: information, tools, permission, etc.).
Posted by: Valeria Maltoni | April 05, 2007 at 02:44 PM
Valeria,
I just had my first outstanding customer service experience in, literally, years.
There was a serious billing error that a rep corrected 10 days ago. She gave me her full name and direct line in case there was a future problem. There was. Her correction didn't show up on the company's "pay online" page. So I called back 10 days later and there she was.
She had the notation from our previous conversation.
She showed me how to make the correct payment and what it actually was ($531 vs. $2,183).
She also said "Don't use our website. It doesn't work. I know this is being recorded for 'quality and training' purposes...that's exactly why I am telling you this."
She was born for her role and has a servant's heart. I sincerely hope that her well-intentioned, customer-oriented remark gets her rewarded and not fired.
Posted by: Steve Roesler | April 05, 2007 at 03:57 PM
I think there are several elements to great customer service. Some of these elements can be taught (soft skills, customer-focused processes). Another important element is how customer service is measured. The best customer service agent can indeed be "ground to bits in the system" if they are not given the empowerment to do what is right. Finally, certain people have more of a customer service disposition. Those people seem to have what Southwest Airlines looks for in new employees: "a fun-loving attitude, warrior spirit, and a servant's heart" (from a SWA job description).
When training, metrics, and the right people come together in a customer-focused organization, service rocks!
Posted by: Becky Carroll | April 07, 2007 at 08:46 PM
Steve -- isn't it interesting that you ponder whether the person who offered you such great service may get in trouble for it? After all she did what every person representing a company should do to solve a customer's problem. I have a had similar experience recently, which I will write about next week.
Becky -- what a good way of summarizing: it all needs to come together in a customer-service organization. What we measure it important, it tells us what we value.
Posted by: Valeria Maltoni | April 08, 2007 at 01:45 PM