Whether its books, podcasts, or videos about customer experience, you are bound to find the importance of “making it right” mentioned. When there is a service failure, everyone expects that businesses or individuals will attempt to satisfy customers, by trying to right any wrongs done (or at least they should). In a previous post, I even dedicated an entire article to this fact, advocating for the +1 Approach to Customer Service to make a difference to improve the customer experience when things go awry. As a customer, I have come to believe that we all want businesses to get it right the first time, instead of making it right after the fact.
Proactive vs. Reactive
Making it right when an issue arises is far too reactive. As customers, we all expect and want the same thing, a service experience that gets it right the first time. To accomplish this, it means that both individuals and organizations need to shift left and become more proactive. There needs to be an investment on the front side of the experience to ensure that all necessary resources, training, and tools required are needed. Even better, the process needs to be locked down to ensure consistent execution. If you are not consistently delivering processes, don’t be afraid to blow it up, to get it right.
The Goal
Consistency is essential when it comes to customer experience. Yes, there are a ton of different variables at play that could disrupt the flow of events, making for a less than ideal situation. However, to reduce the likelihood of things going sideways, spending time upfront on key processes will make the difference, in helping to ensure things are done right. Sure, there is an element of working smartly too. You can help your team, organization, and you get it right by following these steps:
- Investing in training
- Adequate resource planning
- Continually asking, “what would customers expect?”
Get it right by investing in training
Everyone needs training, and not just when they join the organization as a new hire. Continual training is a must to keep everyone refreshed and on the same page. If you don’t think that everyone needs ongoing training, ask yourself why the world’s greatest athletes across professional sports leagues practice. They do so, despite being the best in their chosen sport, because the competition is never going to quit and consistent execution is key to winning a championship. If professional athletes practice and continually train, why don’t marketing, sales and customer services teams do the same consistently?
Customer service or product training should always be delivered to team members, regardless of industry. Sharing best practices or new ways of being more productive will help reduce becoming stagnant or complacent. A deficiency is that training is also most evident to customers, as it’s the details that make all the difference.
Get it right with adequate resource planning
Whether its people or products, having enough of the right resources available that customers expect is vital to delivering consistent customer experience. If you advertise something that a customer wants, but can’t provide, it’s a disappointment. I recently attended a seafood restaurant where a lobster stuffed with crab was advertised as a featured item on the menu. As a lobster lover, I jumped at the opportunity to order this item from the menu. Imagine my disappointment when the server returned to say that they didn’t have any lobsters available, despite it being mentioned as a featured item and it only being an hour into their service starting for the night. Schedule far in advance and have a detailed plan for how you will be successful.
Get it right by continually asking, “what would customers expect?”
How well do you know your customers and what they want? You can’t assume to know everything about your customer’s wants and needs as it relates to your business either. Ask them what they expect or want. Better yet, become a customer of your product and see it through the eyes of them. Do you consistently get it right with what is being offered? If you are a leader, mystery shopping your own team or organization is an incredibly insightful experience. Depending on your business and industry, the expectations of customers will vary, but some significant areas apply to most customers in what they universally care about:
- Convenience – easy experience with low effort
- Friendly – service and support that is welcoming and professional
- Fast – efficiency is a must in today’s distracted and time-starved world
Final Thoughts
While we all appreciate getting a percentage off a restaurant bill when things don’t go as hoped, we prefer when there are no issues in the first place. Focus on getting it right the first time consistently, instead of reactively trying to make it right afterward to help improve your chances of success.
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