No Second Chances for Poor Customer Service…Even in a Pandemic

by Nancy Friedman

No one seems to have any idea why COVID-19 has put this world in a (hopefully winding down) constant mentality of negativity. Sure, it is bad. Yes, we’ve lost some very close relatives, friends and coworkers. Certainly, we have plenty to cry about. But in the face of adversity, customer service becomes even more important. As a service provider, you can make customers’ days better and easier, or you can be the straw that breaks their backs. And COVID-19 is no excuse for being the straw – because there are no second chances in customer service.

My wonderful husband reminds me when I cry, “Nancy, if I thought crying would help the situation, I’d cry with you. Let’s figure out a positive way to this situation.”

This is true for so many things – not just COVID. Let’s start looking at the positivity at things – everywhere.

Here are 5 Costly Comments that can/ will deter many sales, relationships and much more. Not in any special order. They all hurt the economy, sales and relationships. Please avoid with all your might!

MISTAKE 1: NOT SMILING

Why is smiling called a ‘comment?’ Why is this so important? Mainly because when we’re smiling, we are making a big comment. Especially in this current atmosphere. It’s insanely simplistic. On the phone or in person, we need to understand why a smile works. Some people say, “I don’t feel like smiling!”

Sorry – not good enough. Don’t feel like smiling? Well, smile anyway. The customer doesn’t care if you feel like smiling or not. Frankly, it’s better to have the customer think your office/store, restaurant, bank, whatever, is closed than to have the phone answered or greet someone in a negative mood. Without that SMILE, on the phone or in person, you’re creating a possible negative situation. And to those who say, “Well, you can’t tell if I’m smiling or not on the phone.” WRONG! Yes, you can hear a smile. IT’S A FACT: Something happens in and to the tone of your voice with a smile.

MISTAKE 2: NOT ACKNOWL EDGING A CUSTOMER’S RE- QUEST OR PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY.

Rapid response. Requests, problems and even ‘good news’ should be handled sooner than later. Delaying a request or not immediately acknowledging it usually will cause more problems than the original request. Immediate answers – especially to negative situations will normally turn out better. Waiting on those usually creates more frustrations. Rapid response is best.

MISTAKE 3: IMMEDIATE REJECTION OF A REQUEST

“NO” at the start of a sentence is total rejection. Do you know anyone who enjoys being rejected immediately? It hurts. Rather than rejecting immediately, be a double-checker. It may be easier to tell people, “We don’t have it,” “Sorry, it’s past the deadline,” “We ran out of that,” “No, we can’t do that,” or “That’s our policy.” The list of negativity goes on.

Instead, it will do YOU better if we use a soft rejection: Something like: “The last time I checked it wasn’t available, let me double-check for you.”

This simple statement immediately defuses some of the tension of not being able to fulfill a request. And often when we do double-check, we find a way to get what the person wanted after all. Be a DOUBLE CHECKER.

MISTAKE 4: ONE WORD ANSWERS

Question: “Hi, how late are you guys open today?” Answer: “5.” “Ok, thanks, bye.”

VERY DANGEROUS. One-word answers are perceived as cold and rude. If you graduated from third grade, you know three words make a sentence. Engage with the customer. And being ‘busy’ doesn’t cut it. Everyone is busy. It’s a good thing to be busy. Stop complaining.

MISTAKE 5: FORGETTING WHAT MOM TAUGHT YOU

That’s right. Remember these? Please, thank you and you’re welcome. No matter how much or how little money someone has, they all need and want to be treated well. Using their names when you’re aware of it makes a big difference too. That along with the three little phrases (please, thank you and you’re welcome) are critically important to today’s business world.

With or without COVID. Don’t let COVID be the excuse of the day.

Nancy Friedman is a popular speaker in the franchise family industry and a highly respected customer service expert. Email: Nancyf@telephonedoctor.com. During COVID, call her cell at 314-276-1012 or office: 314-291- 1012 (central time) and visit www. nancyfriedman.com. Need a company zoom meeting? Or a 30-minute RX Shot in the Arm for your team? We’d love to share our tips, ideas, skills and techniques with you and your team.