No one likes to admit it, but we all encounter obstacles when striving for customer satisfaction. Any of number of things can go wrong:
- messages that aren’t received
- back orders
- inacurrate order information
- missed completion date
- miscalculated estimate
- a negative review posted on Facebook
Whatever it may be it’s important to remember that you are the main contact at your company, regardless of who did or didn’t do what. Because you are the main character it is imperative that you own it. Own whatever problem has arisen, do not “pass the buck” and blame someone else, or worse, ignore or deny that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. There is a great saying that speaks to this perfectly:
“Circumstances do not make a man, they reveal him” – Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
How we respond to problems and complaints will ultimately determine the outcome. Taking ownership and doing your best to resolve the issue in the customer’s eyes will go a long way. We are human, capable of making mistakes, and whether the problem we face with our customer is a direct result of ourselves or not is irrelevant. What is relevant is that we face it head on and do our best to make it right. In many cases, like that of a negative review on Facebook, past customers and other fans will be our biggest supporters, sharing their positive experiences – which is the best type of customer satisfaction to be found.
Keep it personal.