While the customer may not always be right, the reality is that customer’s perceptions are real and the way we manage them is vital to the success of our business. Treating the customer with respect patience and superlative communication skills can resolve many customer
service issues even if the customer’s demands seem unruly. It can create a win-win for both the customer and the service professional when perceptions are
handled in an effective way.
Service professional skills include analyzing the information being given to them, deciphering what makes sense, what perhaps doesn’t add up and where miscommunication or confusion may have occurred. Strategic questioning can pull vital information from the customer that can help a) understand the situation better and, b) aid in coming up with a satisfactory solution.
An attitude of clarifying the issue and solving the problem while managing the emotional climate throughout the interaction is vital to navigating through challenging “I am right” type of situations.
Creative problem solving is key to managing customer perceptions around entitlement. Listening for key words can help service professionals gain a peek into the underlying issue the customer may be dealing with. Is there embarrassment for the customer? Is the customer fearful of something? Perhaps the customer feels threatened in some way with how they perceive they have been treated.
Service Essentials workplace professionalism workshops cover techniques, tips and strategies to help employees manage and increase success with a variety of customer issues.