I am excited as I will run again another workshop that will discuss the importance of customer service in any organization. Yes, I am a bit wondering since the manual has been updated and thicker than the first release. What could be the new topics included or revised? This only means that there is a need for me to study and run through the slides just so I could cover every topic carefully.
One better way of teaching customer service is by sharing experiences with the customer. Gather experiences and form at least two groups and make them identify what made them say that it was the worst customer service and the best customer service. There is an easier way to understand how our customer feels if we act as the customers. It is more than empathizing with them and acknowledging the right emotion by paraphrasing. Just be careful though when you are paraphrasing because sometimes parroting can be a weakness of a customer service provider. Another is, never confuse your class to go back on the customer service provider side.
When I started as a reservations officer way back in 2003, I was always on the defense of my organization. I have this mindset that complaints are just a way to make them get a better deal (Legacy Carrier Years). Being defensive will never get the job done. People who call to complain are the same people who are concerned about your company. Most of them could be manageable if you know how to listen and build rapport with your customer. Remember, without them, your business is not imaginable.
I had this experience one time when I was at the airport waiting for our flight back to Cebu. I didn’t expect that the flight was running more than 3 hours late. When we arrived at the pre-departure area, there was a line for dinner compensation. Just after I realized that it was for our flight, I also followed the line. When it was my turn at the counter, the female agent said to the male agent, “Tell him, he is not entitled to a free meal because it’s SA only.” (read: Seat Availability) Using jargon when conversing with your colleague is a plus, but in this case, I know exactly what they were talking about. The moment I heard it, I thought I must have missed a memo regarding this. I was still standing there and the line was not moving anymore because of me and I was there looking at them talking and waiting for who is going to tell me the bad news. Guess what? They pretended to be busy talking and waited for me to evaporate. I slowly made some sort of humiliating move to exit.
What could have been done at that moment was to re-check if indeed I was not entitled to the meal compensation. It was a very simple statement that would acknowledge the emotion of the customer and the importance of a resolution before moving on. The key to acknowledge the emotion of the customer is to empathize. You need to see what is beyond that concern and not take it as a personal attack on the way you are handling the concern. If you were in the same situation, do you think you deserve the same treatment? “I understand sir that it has been more than 3 hours that we are waiting for our flight departure, however, there is just one thing we need to check regarding your meal compensation. Kindly stay on your seat and we shall approach you for your convenience as soon as we have the information.” Better?
I should have thrown all my energy just to get back on the agents who caused me to feel irritated after I have verified that I was all along correct. I know better than ranting and giving them the best insult they deserve. There is a better way of letting them know what you mean and that is by teaching them the proper way of handling difficult situations like this. Was I on the verge of my boiling point? Yes. I hope I could also do what they did to me. The only thing I said to them was, “It’s not going to cost your job if you ask your immediate boss for some clarifications.” Don’t worry, we got our meal compensation because I know I was entitled even if I was traveling on company benefit – unlimited travel.
If you are in the customer service industry, there are two qualities of a customer service provider as a customer. The first one is keen on all details of the service and is highly flammable, while the other one is still keen on all details but proactive. If you value high-quality service to your customer, you should also provide the best feedback to a colleague. Comparison will not bring you to a win-win solution or bring you to resolution. Honestly, I find it annoying if after the long narration of frustrations you hear from the ranting customer that he is also in the same field. The worst part of it is when he tells you that what you are trying to say is all scripted. That is the worst comment you will ever receive from someone who works in the same industry. He must be a flawless customer service provider. I doubt.
In every workshop that I facilitate, I always end the class with, “You should always go for what is best and the best customer service provider is not the best irate customer. It is okay to be keen on details but if you can help them improve the way they treat their customers, go on and never miss the opportunity.”
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