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Is it possible there is something to be learned from the Fire Service when it comes to handling customer complaints? I strongly believe so and share that learning here.
Scenario: Imagine a car accident on a busy highway, multiple serious injuries and heavy traffic. You know there will be lots of screaming and emotion, and this really is a life and death situation for the people involved.
The Question is ... What would you do?
The amateur care giver rushes in looking for the sickest person, gets caught up in the emotion and most likely gets themselves injured or killed in the process. Not good and they are just making things worse.
In the Fire Service as professionals we give attention in this order:
#1 Yourself. You can't help anyone if you get hurt.
#2 Your crew. You need to watch each others' backs. Safety first.
#3 The public. Don't let the situation get worse.
#4 The patient. This person is already injured.
This doesn't need to take long, and it's not without empathy, but it is the order of business.
IMHO handling customer complaints needs to be done on the same basis.
#1 You need to be true to yourself and your own integrity; don't promise what doesn't feel right. With an irate customer you need to either withdraw or manage them to a point that the conversation isn't abusive. Look after yourself first.
That may sound a bit rough, so let me be clear. Faced with an irate customer the first thing you must do is dampen the flames by making it very clear that you empathise, feel their pain and will work to fix the problem. Until you're in rapport the conversation will go nowhere. But that's not how it works in the Fire Service, and it's not the same thing as agreeing with the client.
#2 Look after your team. You can not under any circumstances deflect the anger from yourself by directing it at other members of the team. Your relationship with your colleagues, and the reputation of the company needs to be healthy past this one incident. If you have their back, they will have yours. Also, taking it on the chin is good for the spirit and shows everyone we're in this together.
#3 What ever you do, don't compromise the good of the company long term just to make this problem go away. So many companies get into trouble by introducing policy after policy as the result of issues to "work around them" instead of taking the time to put things right.
#4 With these things in place, look after the customer. The person first and then the situation. Do this with urgency, control, empathy and show them you care.
I hate complaints in our company, but we all know they happen. It's how you handle them that counts. Most people are not used to being looked after properly and being heard. Show them your company is different.
As with the firefighters, be a professional at handling complaints and you will get control more easily and this might just be the time you make a friend for life.
I wrote another post last month called "Why do people find customer service so hard", or to read the other stories in this series: click here
Enjoy, and let me know what you think below.
Please read my Firefighters disclaimer
Scenario: Imagine a car accident on a busy highway, multiple serious injuries and heavy traffic. You know there will be lots of screaming and emotion, and this really is a life and death situation for the people involved.
The Question is ... What would you do?
The amateur care giver rushes in looking for the sickest person, gets caught up in the emotion and most likely gets themselves injured or killed in the process. Not good and they are just making things worse.
In the Fire Service as professionals we give attention in this order:
#1 Yourself. You can't help anyone if you get hurt.
#2 Your crew. You need to watch each others' backs. Safety first.
#3 The public. Don't let the situation get worse.
#4 The patient. This person is already injured.
This doesn't need to take long, and it's not without empathy, but it is the order of business.
IMHO handling customer complaints needs to be done on the same basis.
#1 You need to be true to yourself and your own integrity; don't promise what doesn't feel right. With an irate customer you need to either withdraw or manage them to a point that the conversation isn't abusive. Look after yourself first.
That may sound a bit rough, so let me be clear. Faced with an irate customer the first thing you must do is dampen the flames by making it very clear that you empathise, feel their pain and will work to fix the problem. Until you're in rapport the conversation will go nowhere. But that's not how it works in the Fire Service, and it's not the same thing as agreeing with the client.
#2 Look after your team. You can not under any circumstances deflect the anger from yourself by directing it at other members of the team. Your relationship with your colleagues, and the reputation of the company needs to be healthy past this one incident. If you have their back, they will have yours. Also, taking it on the chin is good for the spirit and shows everyone we're in this together.
#3 What ever you do, don't compromise the good of the company long term just to make this problem go away. So many companies get into trouble by introducing policy after policy as the result of issues to "work around them" instead of taking the time to put things right.
#4 With these things in place, look after the customer. The person first and then the situation. Do this with urgency, control, empathy and show them you care.
I hate complaints in our company, but we all know they happen. It's how you handle them that counts. Most people are not used to being looked after properly and being heard. Show them your company is different.
As with the firefighters, be a professional at handling complaints and you will get control more easily and this might just be the time you make a friend for life.
I wrote another post last month called "Why do people find customer service so hard", or to read the other stories in this series: click here
Enjoy, and let me know what you think below.
Please read my Firefighters disclaimer