Accountable Communication

When it comes to customer service, it is important that the customer is left with a feeling of importance. They should feel that their needs are your priority and that you are working to satisfy them. On a recent flight I experienced the type of customer service you would not desire. Our original flight was delayed and it meant that our connection would be missed. They could get us on an earlier flight but that meant our seat assignment was already taken. It also meant our flight time would be almost 2 hours longer because of the new routing. I asked if we could be upgraded to accommodate this and the agent on the phone said, “I would love to, but I am not allowed to do that. As soon as you get to the airport go to the ticket counter and let them know and they can help you.” I went to the ticket counter and was told, “I am sorry, we don’t do that here it has to be done at the gate. Once you go through security go to the ticket counter and they can help you. I will call ahead to the gate and ask them to help you out.” We thanked him and went on to the gate. When we arrived at the gate we told the agent what the other two agents had told us and she said, “I’m sorry, we do not have the ability to do that for you. We then inquired, “Why did two other representatives tell us what they did? She replied, “It is called passing the buck!” How do you think that made me feel? And what do you think my perception of the entire airline was after this experience?

When you think of poor customer service it all boils down into how something or someone made you feel. Does the service make you feel valued and special? Or does it leave you with frustration and feeling invisible. The irony is a poor customer experience often boils down to the behavior of one employee not reinforced 3 times as it was in my experience., and one bad customer experience may alienate you from a business or chain for the rest of your life.

When problems occur an employee should be empowered to take care of an issue. In the event they cannot be given that authority, they should be trained in how to communicate in a manner that helps the customer to feel cared for and it often boils down to the tone of voice that the employee uses and the way they frame the conversation. Had any of these people started by saying, I am unsure of what I will be able to do but let me check to see if together we can resolve this issue. Just by using we implies collaboration. The key is to develop your employees so they understand their options as well as teach them how to communicate in a difficult situation. When issues are resolved often the affected person will tell some people about their experience and give a good recommendation. When things are not resolved people tell between 12-20 people. Which scenario do you want for your organizations?