Turning Your Mistake into a Positive

By Katie Treanor

One thing that becomes apparent very quickly in the service industry is that customers expect to get good service, every time.  The problem is, customers that always receive good service don’t tend to appreciate it. 

The irony is, if your business is good at what it does all of the time, it can quickly become forgettable.  And even more ironic is that it can be your mistakes that make your business memorable to customers. 

We call this kind of phenomenon ‘paradoxical’ because on the surface it does not seem to make sense.  And while it may seem odd, it is my experience that customers become more loyal and more appreciative of your business if a mistake has been made and the customer’s complaint has been handled effectively. 

It is for this reason that I tell all customer service workers to be excited when a customer complains, because it provides businesses with an excellent opportunity to show off its customer service skills in a way that no other scenario offers. 

I first became aware of this phenomenon when I was working with a company that had built a reputation for having high-quality customer service.  One day a long-time customer rang up to complain about an error.  The error was significant and could have cost the customer thousands of dollars. 

The company jumped into action and put together a speedy response to rectify the situation and duly compensated the customer in a way that was both meaningful and genuinely apologetic. 

A week later, the company received a letter from this customer.  In the letter she said she was ‘blown away by the level of service she had received’.  The letter also stated how grateful she was to have the error fixed quickly and that she was extremely impressed with the level of concern and regard shown by the staff. The customer ended the letter by announcing that she would always be a loyal customer and that she looked forward to doing business with them for years to come.  

When I saw this letter I was perplexed.  For years this customer had purchased goods from this company and received good, solid customer service, and yet she had never offered a compliment.  And yet, after the company had made a large error this same customer was thanking them for their great customer service and did so in writing!!! Wow!
 
I suppose this is the point: Making a mistake and rectifying it with finesse, brings your company to the attention of the customer in a big way.  This can often make them appreciate what they have taken for granted for years. 

That is why, before I start with any other skill, I try to change customer service workers’ perceptions about dealing with angry customers.  I try to teach them that it does not have to be a daunting experience; rather it can be an exciting opportunity to shine! 

* This is an extract from Katie Treanor’s ‘How to Turn an Angry Customer into Your Biggest Fan’  training manual, available through Howling Success Marketing for just $29.95.

Those of you in Victoria can hear Katie’s presentation live on Wednesday March 26. Katie is presenting a two hour workshop on this topic, starting at 6:30pm in Richmond.

To book a ticket please call 1800 032 139.