Service Recovery Skill #3: Get It Done & Get It Right

Over the last couple of weeks we’ve talked about service recovery skills for setting ourselves up for success and ensuring clear understanding of the issues we need to deal with.  Today we talk about the Big One – Getting it done, and getting it right.

We’ve All Been Here

Here is an experience most of us have had as customers:  You reach out to a company for support.  It could be in person, on the telephone, live chat or email.  It could be technical support or a customer service issue.  One way or another, you are hoping someone will be able to help solve your problem.

The person starts off great, he (she) asks terrific questions and seems to really understand the issue.  You have high hopes until one of two things happen:

a)  Nothing – and you find yourself having to start the whole process again a week later
b)  The wrong solution is applied – and two weeks later you have an even bigger issue

The result is anger, frustration and, ultimately, customer defection.

It’s A Big Deal

Is it really a big deal?  Yes it is.  One mistake and you’ve swung the pendulum all the way from a potential WOW moment with customers telling everyone about their great experience, to a horrible one that makes your company look bad and you like an idiot.  Here are four things you have to do to get it done and get it right:

Double Check Your Solution

Just before you hit that Send button, cut-and-paste the solution or set wheels in motion, take a moment to review the issue one more time.  Make sure you are confident this is absolutely the right answer.

Confirm The Outcome

One last time, tell the customer the outcome your actions will be achieving, and confirm that this is what they are looking for

Do It Now

As soon as you finish with your customer, get things started immediately.  Don’t wait until after your break.  Don’t save it for the next day (or worse, for you coworker).  Get the wheels in motion immediately so that things don’t get forgotten.

Follow Up

This is the real big one.  This is what separates the good from the great – and what creates those amazing customer service experiences people will talk about.  All it takes is a brief follow-up call or email (none of these AI follow-ups, I’m talking about you following up) to confirm everything is now okay.  This simple action lets customers know that they are more than just numbers in the system.  It tells them that you care, and shows that you stand out from the rest.

This ends our series in service recovery.  There’s a lot more to it, of course, and a lot of service recovery skills that can make a dramatic difference, but these are the core skills that everyone will need to have mastered over the next couple of years.  Good luck with them!

{Reprinted with permission from The Customer Service Champions Blog}