Repairing Mistakes

Think about times where you have made a big blunder, said the wrong thing, made false accusations, or in some way offended or hurt a friends or loved one, causing a severe issue with the relationship? Now, think about the lengths you would take to rectify the situation? Think about the steps you need to take to resolve whatever the issue was. Now, think about how some of those steps could be applied to an issue in a customer service position. People are offended and turned off by customer service representatives all the time. What can be done to win them back? What steps can be taken to resolve the issue, satisfy the customer, and gaining their trust and support back again? The personal and the service scenarios share common elements for resolution.

One of the toughest things that so many people have is the willingness to admit fault and accept blame. "Too bad! It is their fault, it is their problem..." Instead of humbly admitting fault on our part, we often want to blame others and move on. However, in the customer service field, that is one way to get rid of a customer forever. And they in turn may tell their friends, and other customers can be lost. Do the opposite, though, and rectify the situation, and you will gain them back, and their friends.

If the issue was with a personal close friend that you wanted to resolve, would you have the same attitude and desire to fix it as you did with a customer? A relationship is a relationship - whether it is personal or professional. One directly affects us, the other directly affects our employer - and indirectly flows down to us. We should treat them very similarly, because both will affect us.

No Time Like the Present

Taking steps to fix a situation are always better done sooner than later. Strike while the iron is hot, as they say. As time goes by, people could harbor anger and it could grow. Nip it in the bud early on and a resolution is often more easily accomplished.

Sorry?

Apologizing is a great first step. Apologizing, though, is much more than just saying "I am sorry" to someone, it is showing them through further actions that you really mean it. Words are cheaper than actions, so make actions the solution. Take responsibility, don't give excuses, or pass the buck. It doesn't really matter whose fault it ultimately was, you are the representative they are dealing with, and you represent "the company" to them.

Take Action

As mentioned, actions are louder than words. When someone has been wronged, they want restitution of some sort. Obviously this will come in many different ways depending on the company and the issue. In all cases though, you should do what you can within your means, to solve the problem, and even go above and beyond the desired resolution to make them further happier with the outcome of the situation. Don't just try to smooth over the issue, but do something to resolve the issue that will win them back.

Learning from the Mistakes

With each issue like this, consider it a learning and maturing situation. Look at the issue, and dissect it. What happened? What caused it? How did you initially add to the bad situation? What could you have done better to have maybe redirected it to have not become the issue it did? Look for ways you can do better the next time, to never let an issue like that happen again. Learn from the experience, and apply what you have learned to your daily routine, to avoid being a part of such an issue again in the future.

Jeff McCormack resides in Virginia Beach, VA. where he works as a web designer by day. In his off time he is a husband, father, and musician. Aside from being a freelance writer for this Customer Service Jobs blog, he also seeks to assist in career choices and information by contributing to other Nexxt blog sites.