Our post today focuses on customer service and the hot potato handoff. It happens everyday in businesses all over the globe. A problem comes in and no one wants to take ownership of the thorny situation so they pass it on to someone else who passes it on and on until the problem just disappears. Unfortunately, it usually doesn't jut disappear. There is likely a customer still waiting for a response. There just isn't a staff member who is actually trying to resolve their issue. This can lead to frustrated, disgruntled customers who feel that you don't value them or their patronage and that is bad for business. So, how do you avoid the hot potato handoff? Keep reading for some tips to help your business deal with this situation successfully and to learn more about our simple free inventory solution.
- Accountability. Employees need to be accountable for handling customer requests. The first person to receive the complaint may not be the one who is able to resolve it, but they should be responsible for seeing that it gets to the right person, and following up to make sure that it is actually resolved. Adding that last little bit of accountability will help ensure that the next person doesn't bury the issue on the bottom of their to do pile where it can languish until it's forgotten.
- Training. Train all employees on how to properly handle customer complaints. Often issues get shuttled to the side because your staff doesn't know how to solve them and the person they could ask for guidance is unavailable. If everyone has a basic knowledge of how complaints should be addressed they may be able to resolve issues right away. When they are empowered to make these decisions they are much more likely to go ahead and do so. What customer wouldn't be happy to have their issue handled immediately? If the problem is more complicated and requires manager or owner approval that should be clear to the employee based on the training they've received. They can then explain to the customer why their issue is more complex and what the next steps in the process will be to achieve resolution.
- Time management. Issues often get passed off because your staff is too busy. They feel as though they have too many other tasks to focus on and simply don't have the time to solve this new problem. Helping your staff manage their time more effectively will free up time for any project that may crop up. Provide the tools and the training needed to make their jobs easier and you will reap the benefits for years to come.
- Recognize and reward. Providing great customer service can be a challenge, particularly when someone has a complaint. Recognize and reward those employees that rise to the challenge and resolve difficult situations to the customer's satisfaction. When you have an employee that can take an angry or unhappy customer and turn them into an advocate for your business you should recognize this accomplishment. Not only will it show the employee in question how much you appreciate their efforts, it can also encourage other employees to strive to provide the same level of service. Providing some sort of reward as an incentive can increase the positive effects as well.
You can't afford to have unhappy customers. When complaints come in they need to be dealt with in quickly and correctly so that your customers are ultimately satisfied and willing to continue using your business. We hope the tips above help you reach this goal.
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