Every single day we have a choice. We can choose show up and do what we said we would or choose to shrink away when the going gets tough.
This is a classic customer service dilemma. When was the last time you called into a company about something and the first representative promises the world, only to be let down when they couldn’t live up to the lofty promises.
No one wins when promises fall flat. You walk away as an angry customer. The company loses your business and quite possibly the business of those you interact with.
If you have a team that interacts with customers, the solution to this problem could be simply empowering them to do the right thing by your customers. You should already trust them with your business, right? If it’s just you, the solution is even simpler, treat your customer how you want to be treated in the worst of situations.
Amazon in years past did this well. You could ask to speak with someone in the USA and get transferred. No questions asked. When they offered a solution, it happened. When they screwed up, it was fixed. Maybe not perfect, but they tried darn hard.
Often times it’s not how your widget actually works. It’s about how you work when the widget fails to live up to expectations in the eyes of your customer.
Listening and providing answers means the world to those who purchase from you.
People might not talk about how well something works. But they will talk about how horribly your customer service went when things go sideways. And they certainly don’t want an AI solution patting them on the back when it can’t even give the right answer.
No matter how small your business is, something will go wrong. Not every customer will be totally pleased with what you offer. One bad egg in the carton, one fatty tough steak, one lost package in the mail. It will happen.
What matters more is how you show up to save the day. Be the superman or woman to your customers.