How to Take Ownership of a Customer Problem | Part 1

In this episode of America Trends, Shep Hyken joins Mary Burt-Godwin to talk about the response to times in a crisis and how to take ownership of customer resolution in your field.

In this kind of situation, let's follow my five-step process for resolving problems and complaints. I’ve covered this before, but it’s worth using this story to remind us of how simple and effective it is.

Five Steps to Handling Complaints and Problems

1. Apologize: That’s the first thing the server did.

2. Acknowledge: The server acknowledged their disappointment. That shows you’re in sync with the customer.

3. Fix the Problem: The server offered a great solution. The first part of that solution was to order lunch off the menu. The follow-up was to personally deliver a “Seafood Market” experience the next day.

4. An Attitude of Ownership: The server didn’t blame the chef for not cooking enough food. Instead, he “owned” the opportunity to resolve the issue.

5. Act with Urgency: It’s not about when the problem was ultimately resolved, it’s how fast you respond to fix the problem. One way to impress a customer when there is a problem or complaint is to act with speed and urgency.

This five-step process works for small and big problems. Think about a time when you complained or had a problem, and it was resolved to your satisfaction, if not even more so. If you break it down, you’ll likely find the experience includes these five steps.

Shep Hyken is a customer service & experience expert, award-winning keynote speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information, go to https://www.hyken.com.

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