Ep 48: An Apology I Wasn't Expecting: Proactive Customer Service Strategies
Powered by RedCircle
An Apology I Wasn't Expecting: Proactive Customer Service Strategies
I had a customer service experience that absolutely blew my mind. Y'all know that I'm a big fan of customer service because every touchpoint with a customer is a brand experience. It shapes how they think of you and your business. When I have a great experience, I like to share it with you because this is how we learn and get better in our own business.
I came across this experience when I was trying out a new tool that records Zoom calls and it allows you to automatically transcribe those, but also bookmark them and add action items so you don't have to look at the transcription. The company is still in the early stages, and I suspect they have a small team supporting the service based on my experience. This experience helped me understand the power of proactive customer service and how it can build trust with your customers.
The Proactive Apology
The other day, I received an email from the company with the subject line "Apologies for the bad experience." I was confused as I didn't know what bad experience they were referring to. As I read the email, I realized the company had identified an issue with the service and had taken proactive steps to rectify it. The email read:
"I can see from our logs that it took a lot longer for the notetaker to join your last call and start recording than it should have (It should have been nearly instantaneous). Our engineering team has investigated what happened here and has already made changes so you shouldn't have this happen again. Apologies for the crappy experience. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I hope you give us another try."
They told me what happened. “Hey, we noticed that it took longer for this notetaker to join than it should have taken.”
They acknowledged what should have happened and identified the gap. “It should have been nearly instantaneous.”
They admitted their mistake, and took responsibility. “Our engineering team has investigated what happened here and has already made changes so you shouldn't have this happen again.”
They apologized for the mistake. “Apologies for the crappy experience.”
They opened the doorway for communication. “Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.”
They gave the ask. “I hope you give us another try.”
What stands out in this email is how the company identified the issue, acknowledged their mistake, took responsibility for it, and provided information on the steps they had taken to prevent it from happening again. This approach is particularly effective as it shows that the company is committed to delivering a high-quality experience for its customers, even when things go wrong.
Building Trust
Proactive customer service like this builds trust with the customer. When a company identifies and addresses an issue, even before the customer is aware of it, it demonstrates a commitment to providing excellent service. Trust is crucial in any relationship, and it's no different in customer-business relationships. Customers who trust a business are more likely to recommend it to others, and remain loyal.
Proactive Customer Service in Your Business
This customer service experience showed me the power of proactive, transparent, and honest communication. By identifying and rectifying an issue without the customer even being aware of it, the company was able to build trust with me and create a memorable experience. I encourage businesses to look for opportunities to do the same in their own customer service practices. It's a small investment that can yield big rewards.
