The Inconsolable Customer

Today's blog is for the boss, but employees are welcome to read along. Part of being an employee is understanding that you work for the goals and objectives of your company and that you have a boss. Well, my dear bosses, you too have a responsibility in the area of customer service to your employees.

It may be a little known fact, but up to 2% of your customers may have unrealistic expectations of your company and despite the best customer recovery measures of your representatives these customers are inconsolable. How do you assist your employees to deal with the inconsolable? The key to this dilemma is knowing your own limits, because what is happening is a test of the limits of your company.

If you are in business for yourself, you certainly realize that there is only so much that you can do and when you reach that point; you have exhausted your resources. When you work for a larger organization it is a tad more difficult to know when you have run out of resources.

The first confidence you must extend your employees is the opportunity to delegate to a higher level in the organization without fear of retribution, the unreasonable and inconsolable customer.

Give your employees key words to use such as: "Mr. Customer, I have intervened in the following ways for you and lament that my efforts are insufficient. Our company believes in excellent customer service and I have not found that satisfaction for you. When this happens we are instructed to move your concern to a higher level in the organization. I will connect you with my manager."

Note: Often times the demeanor of the inconsolable customer changes when a person of higher authority is made available. There is a certain satisfaction obtained in being able to be attended to by management. This may be a sign of the dysfunction of the inconsolable customer, but it may make the needed difference to move the customer to a higher level of satisfaction.

If, at the managerial level, the customer is indeed inconsolable, consider then the example of the Santa Claus from Macy's Department Store from the "Miracle on 34th Street". "I am sorry that we don't have the toy you seek to purchase, you can find it at Gimbels."

This is the ultimate stand, for in effect you are indicating that it is not within your ability to provide the needed service and you, in the interests of your customer, provide a referral to the competition. The beauty of this approach is that the customer may realize that limits do exist. The period of time spent with your employees and then with management is an investment that they may not drop and decide instead that enough is enough. They decide to remain as customers. In effect, with this method, you are not firing your customer. You leave the customer the option to seek service elsewhere without telling him to leave. What you also learn is where, after seeking to please, you rest. The other 98% of your customers are awaiting your service.