Do You Have a Customer Service Plan?

Today I had a complaint from a customer that an order he made wasn’t received. The email was terse, demanding that I ship the product immediately or refund his money. Knowing that I had shipped the product I went to my postage/shipping file, pulled the receipt, searched the tracking code, and got the date and time the product was delivered.

I could have responded to his email equally as tersely. “I sent the product. Here’s the proof. I can’t help it if you lost it.” But what would that have gained? I may have been right, but he could have provided negative feedback online which would have ultimately hurt me. Instead, I apologized that he didn’t have the item. I shared that I had sent it, and gave him the tracking information so he could verify what I told him. I also shared the address I had been given on the off chance it was sent to wrong address. Finally I suggested that perhaps it went to a neighbors by accident or maybe someone else picked it up.

My goal was to professional and helpful. While I’d done my part in shipping the product, he had a legitimate complaint if the item hadn’t arrived. But I was able to prove I sent the item and verify that it was delivered. Instead of saying, “Its not my problem,” I sought to work with him to figure out what happened to it. As a result, I received an apologetic email from him stating that he’d been out of town and the item had been delivered to a neighbor who’d failed to give it to him.  And because I was professional and helpful, hopefully he’ll buy from me again and tell others about my business without any hesitation because he knows I provide quality customer service.

Quality customer service seems like a no-brainer. It also seems like it would be easy to provide. Why do you need a policy? The reality is that customer service can be difficult and frustrating as shown in the example above. Few customers will go out of the way to praise your service, but many will be quick to complain. And while they should complain if something has gone wrong, occasionally you’ll have complaints that are unreasonable. I once had someone ask for a refund for a product I didn’t sell.

Creating a customer service policy is crucial to your business success. Exceptional service will lead to repeat business and referrals whereas poor customer service can cost big bucks in lost revenue. Especially with the Internet where people can share their experiences …good and bad…with the rest of the web-world. So you should develop a customer service plan that includes:

1. Commitment to providing the best service possible.
2. Posted policies or terms of service that customers can read before and after making a purchase.
3. Easy access to you through email or phone to get questions answered.
4. Quick response to questions and concerns.
5. A helpful attitude even if the issue is out of your control. (That person who wanted a refund? I helped her find the right company to contact.)
6. Apologize and make restitution when you do mess up. It will happen that the mistake is yours, so own it and fix it.

Nearly two years ago I bought a new HP laptop. Within a week I had an issue. Technical support suggested that I do a reset to factory settings (UGH!). Two days later, the HP tech person called me back to see how the reset went. SHE CALLED ME! I couldn’t believe it because with most companies you can’t even get a live person on the phone (without spending extra money) much less have them call you back. So what are the odds I’ll stick with HP? Pretty good! And its all because of customer service.