Difficult Customer Service Experience

Ever had a bad customer service experience? Most of us have. Some people handle bad experiences by yelling and screaming at staff members or customer service agents. This is not the best way to handle things and causes agents to want to give some honest responses, although the good ones never would.

Ninety-six percent of unhappy customers never complain, but 90 percent of those who are dissatisfied will not rebuy the product. Each unhappy customer will tell their story to at least nine other people. That's why it is always the best policy to take a proactive approach by immediately correcting any mistakes you catch, rather than letting the little one slide.”

Arming Your Staff

A better way to approach a business is by ensuring your staff is armed to address customer service concerns. Provide staff with the opportunity to handle situations smoothly and effectively for a win-win for your business and your customer. Repeat customers are far more cost-effective than finding new ones.

We like to think of it as a three-legged stool. A position or role should have Accountability, Authority and Responsibility. Each one represents a leg of the chair. If there is too much reliance on one leg, things are off balance and may fall over. It's the same as having too much dependence on a single individual in an organization.

Accountability

Do your staff know that they are accountable for their actions? If they do or say something good or bad, they should own it, knowing they will be supported. Accountability is a personal guarantee and commitment to a proposed result. This strategy empowers employees to rise to the challenge while doing their job. When an outcome of a situation is important enough, we all rise to the occasion. Everything should be that way, but people can fall short without accountability.

You can't force personal accountability; you must model it. It starts with management being accountable to their staff and partners 100% of the time. Be responsible, own the consequences, model accountability and recognize leaders on your team.

Authority

Leaders are accountable for their team members, but that does not mean they have to take responsibility. Leaders provide authority to their team members at various levels. “Authority” is the empowerment to make decisions necessary to complete a task and get results. Empowering your staff with authority to make decisions, knowing that they may make the occasional mistake, is a step in the right direction.

You can hand over some of the reins of authority by ensuring staff have the most relevant information and knowledge. Some information is confidential but ensuring they have the information required to understand the impact of their decisions is vital. Determine what information you will allow each team member access to make the proper decisions.

In retail, for example, set a level of boundaries such as the maximum item or transaction amount. The staff member will be able to handle a discount or return against policy. You give them the authority to create a “win-win” to appease an unhappy customer.

You can utilize the “circle of authority,” a mechanism to give your employees independence at a pace they can handle while still providing the supervision they need. Determine the levels of authority you wish to provide for various individuals within your organization and establish the parameters under which this authority would be utilized.

Responsibility

The third leg of the stool, “Responsibility,” is the assurance that the work will be done according to plan. This is the process that needs to be completed. Staff must know what they are responsible for.

Requirements need to be clearly outlined, so there is no confusion. This may change over time as tasks and responsibilities evolve, but the initial clarity stops everyone from doing their own thing and identifies the path to take for consistency.

The Three Key Factors

Implementing a strategy with these three key factors - Accountability, Authority, and Responsibility into your management system will give you confidence in your team and their decisions.

By Michelle Ricketts
Cohesion Services

Overall, health and fitness always played a part in Michelle’s life and continue to be part of her consulting approach today, differentiating her from others in the industry. Michelle guides business owners to develop a self-sustaining business, generate more revenue, and take back time to do things that excite them!

Raised by a strong, independent single mother, Michelle’s vision and values were instilled early. Michelle’s entrepreneurial journey started in the 90s in event planning and speaking. In addition to Michelle’s over 30-year Corporate career in Media, Logistics and Financial Services, her passions shaped Michelle’s experience, providing innumerable opportunities to give back as a volunteer.

Passionate about making a difference, Michelle is on a philanthropic foundation, “Board of Advisors,” building sustainable schools in developing countries and supporting Digital Samurai’s efforts, an entrepreneur focused on reducing youth unemployment in Africa through apprenticeships.

Michelle’s 35 years as an Account Executive spanned credit card processing and financial services, transportation, logistics, media, and consulting, with many projects including managing consultative alliances, live event management, and sales team leadership. In 2021 Michelle completed Wardell International Advisor training and had recently undertaken S.O.S. Sales Objection System group training with renowned trainer Joe Marcoux. Her career and entrepreneurial ambitions have taken Michelle outside Canada, providing extensive experience in multiple markets in North America and beyond.

You can find Michelle Ricketts on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/michellericketts