Ep 26: Resolving Customer Support Issues | The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Aug 16

Resolving Customer Support Issues | The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Recently I have had two customer service experiences with two different companies. One was an extremely awful customer service experience and has left me not only never giving business to this company, but wanting to make sure that nobody else ever works with them again either.

The other was a potentially really bad customer service issue that was resolved so well that I want to stay at that hotel anytime that I travel and recommend it to everyone that I know. Both of them started with a mistake.

We're going to cover the differences, what you can learn from these two experiences, and how to apply this approach to your business so that you don't leave your customers feeling like they want to leave negative reviews.

The Awful Customer Service Experience

The first encounter involved a local air conditioning company that had provided satisfactory service for 5 years. On this day, we called them out to our rental property to go check out a problem that we were having with the AC unit of that property. Now, typically what happens is we pay a $75 service fee. They go to the property, call, let us know what's going on, and tells us how much it costs to fix it. We approve that fee, they fix it, and then they tell us it's done. Then they send us a bill, we pay the bill, and our renters enjoy nice cold AC.

Well, things didn't quite go as planned this time. They did show up at the property to fix the air conditioning, but what they neglected to do was call to inform us about the issue, the cost, and obtain our approval on the charges. You can imagine the shock we felt when we received an invoice for over $500 in the mail. We wasted no time contacting the company and said, "Hey, we got the invoice. But by the way, you never reached out to discuss these charges or seek our approval." They acknowledged their mistake and apologized, but disappointingly, they refused to provide any sort of resolution.

To make matters worse, as we engaged in conversations about the problem, they resorted to shady tactics like neglecting to send bill reminders, quickly sending our bill to collections, and even lying about what we had approved and what we hadn't. It was definitely not a pleasant experience.

We made several attempts to communicate with the company, offering to find a resolution so we could avoid the current situation. Regrettably, they showed no interest in engaging in a conversation with us. They firmly maintained that they were in the right and offered no assistance or willingness to resolve the matter.

The Exemplary Customer Service Experience

Now let's talk about the alternative situation. So, my husband and I recently had the opportunity to stay at the brand new Four Seasons Resort in Minneapolis, Minnesota. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen me sharing about it. I posted pictures of the gorgeous room they upgraded us to and documented our experiences throughout our stay. But here's the thing, something happened on our very first night that required some customer service intervention.

I had asked the hotel staff to do me a favor and iron a dress for me. I planned to wear it to my birthday dinner the following night. And I have to give props to Four Seasons because they offer these awesome services. While we were out enjoying a Twins baseball game, they swung by our room to pick up the dress for pressing. Sounds convenient, right? Well, when I returned to our room, I noticed something was off. Other clothes were missing including the skirt I had worn earlier.

Without wasting any time, I reached out to the customer service team using the iPad they provided in the room. I wanted to let them know about the missing items. Thankfully, they responded quickly. They explained that the laundry team had mistakenly taken what they thought were dirty clothes and decided to wash them for free. They offered to bring the clothes back immediately, but I told them not to worry and to bring them up the next morning.

Now, here's where things took a turn. When the clothes were brought up the next morning, I noticed that one of the skirts they had taken came back with some damage. It was clear that they had attempted to iron or press the skirt, but it wasn't the dress I had asked them to work on. It was just a skirt I had left on the floor, and they were kind enough to think it needed washing. Unfortunately, the ironing process had caused some damage. There was a noticeable mark on the front where they had ironed over the pocket seam.

Naturally, I reached out to them again to address the issue. I felt a bit conflicted because I knew they were trying to be helpful and provide great service. But I had to be honest and let them know that the skirt had come back damaged. To my surprise, they didn't hesitate to make things right. They immediately offered to send someone from the laundry team to assess the damage and find a solution. Within minutes, a team member arrived, collected the skirt, and took it back to see what they could do. Thankfully, they were able to fix the issue and returned the skirt to me in perfect condition.

But it didn't end there. They went the extra mile to ensure my satisfaction. Not only did they resolve the problem, but they also checked in with me to make sure I was completely happy with the outcome. And guess what? They didn't charge us a single cent for the laundry or the ironing service. It was all on the house. As we were getting ready to check out a couple of days later, they made a point to ask if I was satisfied with how everything was resolved and even offered an apology for the mistake.

Let me tell you, this experience at the Four Seasons Resort showcased their incredible commitment to top-notch customer service. They truly went above and beyond to address any issues and make things right. I was thoroughly impressed with their responsiveness and dedication to ensuring a positive guest experience.

The Importance of Responding to Mistakes

Making mistakes is inevitable in business. You might unintentionally harm your customers or their businesses, break your promises, or make errors in fulfilling orders. Mistakes happen, but what truly matters is how you handle them. Most people react emotionally when faced with mistakes, driven by ego or greed.

Ego-driven reactions involve a strong desire to be right, have the upper hand, and refuse to admit fault. In the case of the air conditioning company, it seems like ego played a role, with individuals within the company refusing to acknowledge their mistake and demanding payment regardless.

The opposite response to ego is humility—a willingness to accept fallibility and a servant-hearted approach to resolving customer service issues. Humility doesn't mean being a pushover or always accepting customer demands. It means acknowledging the possibility of personal error and taking responsibility to make things right. It's a better approach than always needing to be right or having the last word.

Another emotional response stems from greed—a money-focused mindset. This perspective fixates on being owed money, fearing financial loss, or feeling a lack of abundance. These money-driven and fear-based mindsets can lead to poor decision-making when it comes to customer service.

To overcome emotional reactions, it's crucial to approach customer service issues logically and strategically. Avoid making decisions based on ego, greed, or fear. Instead, slow down and consider two important factors:

A servant-hearted approach: Recognize your fallibility and seek resolution with a focus on serving the customer. It doesn't mean always yielding to customer demands but approaching situations with empathy and a willingness to find a fair solution.
Logical and strategic thinking: Step back from the emotional response and evaluate the situation objectively. Consider the long-term impact on your business, customer relationships, and reputation. Make decisions that prioritize fairness and uphold your business values.

By adopting a logical and strategic mindset, you can navigate customer service challenges more effectively and maintain positive relationships with your customers.

Evaluating Options for Resolution

When it comes to handling customer service issues, there are two key questions to ask yourself. First, consider the options for resolution. Instead of believing there's only one solution, explore different possibilities. You can aim for a complete resolution, where you take full responsibility and make things right without charging the customer. Alternatively, consider partial resolutions that involve compromises like refunds, discounts, or additional perks. And there's also the option of no resolution at all, standing your ground when it's justified.

Potential Impact

Think about the potential impact of each resolution option. Look at it from various perspectives, starting with the financial impact. Consider both the immediate and long-term effects. While it may seem like a tough pill to swallow to lose $500 in the moment, think about the long-term financial implications. Consider the potential value of retaining a customer for life or receiving referrals from them. Investing in customer satisfaction now can yield greater returns in the future. So, weigh the short-term loss against the potential long-term gains when evaluating the financial impact.

Time is another factor to evaluate since partial resolutions may involve extended negotiations. It's important to be mindful of how different resolution options may impact your team's efficiency and productivity. Partial resolutions that require extensive back-and-forth negotiation can consume valuable time and resources. Time is a finite resource in any business. Therefore, finding swift and decisive resolutions can free up your team to focus on other important tasks. The quicker you can resolve the issue, the better it is for everyone involved.

Be mindful of the energy drain caused by conflicts or negative interactions. Conflict and negative interactions can drain the energy and morale of your team members. While some individuals may have a higher tolerance for dealing with negativity, for others, it can take a significant toll. Any unresolved conflict or disagreement can linger and chip away at motivation and overall team dynamics. Keeping this in mind, strive to resolve customer service issues promptly to maintain a positive and energized work environment.

Consider the impact on your reputation. As I always say, your customer experience is your brand. It's crucial to prioritize integrity and ensure that your actions align with your brand values. Strive to strike a balance between upholding your reputation and maintaining healthy boundaries. You don't want to establish a reputation where every complaint results in an immediate refund, but you also don't want to be seen as dismissive or unresponsive. Your reputation is built on consistently providing excellent service and addressing customer concerns in a fair and reasonable manner.

By considering the financial, time, energy, and reputation impacts of each potential resolution, you can make more informed and strategic decisions when handling customer service issues.

The Influential Power of Every Individual

As you think through this, remember two important things. First, everyone's an influencer, regardless of their follower count. Four Seasons leveraged my influence by providing exceptional customer service, and I shared my positive experience on social media and my podcast. Their understanding of the long-term impact on their brand reputation outweighed any short-term financial loss. On the other hand, the AC company will face the negative side of my influence. I run the local mom's Facebook group for my community, and I've lived in this area my whole life and in this particular town for 12 years. I'm asked all the time for referrals for things like service providers and I will no longer recommend their services due to their mishandling of the customer service issue.

The second key point is that how a relationship ends determines how people feel about you and your brand. Just like a dating relationship, a business relationship's ending leaves a lasting impression. The AC company's poor customer service experience tarnished my view of their once-reliable service, while Four Seasons left me with a positive lasting feeling despite the initial issue.

Understanding that everyone has influence and the significance of a relationship's end, you can see the importance of handling customer service issues with integrity and resolving them in a way that leaves a positive impression. By prioritizing long-term reputation over short-term gains, businesses can build loyal customers and benefit from positive word-of-mouth referrals.

Tale of Two Customer Service Experiences

This tale of two customer service experiences serves as a valuable lesson for businesses. It reminds us to reflect on the kind of customer service we want to provide to our community members. Do we want to imitate the AC company's mishandling of a customer service issue, or do we aspire to be like the Four Seasons, who went above and beyond to resolve the problem?

To ensure exceptional customer service, it is crucial to plan intentionally and approach issues with a logical and strategic mindset. By having a predetermined plan and asking the right questions, we can avoid emotional reactions that may harm our reputation. Learning from both positive and negative customer service experiences in various industries allows us to continuously improve and provide outstanding service to our own customers.

If you have a standout customer service experience, whether positive or negative, I invite you to share your story with me by sending me a message here or DM on Instagram @shanaspeaks. I look forward to hearing from you!