Last week I went to one of my favorite places in the world – a fishing camp in Canada with my boys. While I love my role as a [tag]professional speaker[/tag] and [tag]business strategist[/tag], it is good to have seven straight free days with no calls and no email. It was bliss.
This camp provides [tag]customer service[/tag] beyond the exceptional. Every detail is focused on the guest. But no business is perfect – mine included. One morning I noticed my boat battery charger was unplugged, so I assumed the on-duty dock attendant (average age for this role is about 19) had forgotten to plug it in the night before. A different attendant was on duty than the night before, so I commented that there might have been an oversight. His comment was, “I wasn’t working last night. My co-worker was on the dock. ” The implication was clear – he was suggesting it wasn’t his fault.
The proper response would have been something like “I’m sorry if your boat wasn’t charged. I’ll ask my coworker about it. Would you have a few minutes for me to charge it now?
I can easily forgive a teenager for this response, but this incident reminded me that too often we don’t take responsibility in our business. If a colleague or the service department fails to deliver, you are the company to the customer – it is your responsibility to see that the problem is fixed. So when a customer encounters a problem, step up, say you are sorry, and do your best to fix it or accommodate the customer – even if it isn’t your fault. Even if the customer isn’t appreciative, you will know you did the right thing, and that always pays off in the long run.
Good selling!
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