Proving You're Right vs Finding Resolution: Fatal Mistakes of the Customer Service Manager

 I was travelling this weekend as part of a celebration for my daughter’s birthday. Part of our trip involved going to a popular amusement park in the city we were visiting. Now, I’m not one to ride on machines that turn me upside down and toss my robust frame around like a rag-doll, but my 8 year old and my wife are all over it, so my plan was to walk around the park and watch my two special ladies have an amazing time. 

Once we arrived, we discovered that the admission policies to the facility had changed. Previously, folks who wanted to ride the rides would purchase tickets redeemable at each ride. Other family members were free to walk the park at no charge and watch their children play. The change in policy meant that all persons who wanted to enter the park, regardless of whether or not they ride the attractions, had to pay the full admission price. This seemed like a punitive and poorly devised policy, and those that know me understand that I have to speak out. 

“Upon arriving at the gate to speak with us, the manager committed the cardinal sin of customer service…”

Now, one could spend time arguing the ethics of their revised pricing model or coming up with several options that improve upon it and provide a more equitable way of managing attendance but neither of those were paths to solving the problem in the moment that I was standing there at the gate to the park.

The front-line staff were simply not equipped to have this discussion, nor did they have the authority to make a decision, so I needed to respectfully elevate the conversation to someone with more authority. A short while later, a supervisor arrived but was unable to make any firm commitments so the supervisor then put in a call to the manager of the park who arrived a few minutes later.

This is where we get to the crux of the matter. Upon arriving at the gate to speak with us, the manager committed the cardinal sin of customer service; he immediately began defending his position, the policies of the park, and attempting to convince my wife and I that we were in the wrong. 

To pause for a moment, I want to list out the 6 basic steps in dealing with an upset customer. They should sound familiar as these steps are the exact same as when dealing with customer objections.

Step 1:  Hear it out	Let the customer vent in a private and controlled setting. If they are angry, it gives them a chance to get the emotion out of their system.
Step 2:  Feed it back to them	People want to be heard and acknowledged, and usually once that happens they begin to calm down. Take this time to reiterate their complaint so both you and the customer are on the same page.
Step 3:  Question it	Asking someone to change their mind in a conflict situation obviously won’t work, so you need to dig deeper and discuss the underpinning concepts that their mindset is anchored to.
Step 4:  Answer it	Provide a suggestion for resolution that is aimed at providing new underpinnings while maintaining the dignity of the customer and validating their feelings.
Step 5:  Confirm the answer	Once the customer agrees to a resolution, tie that agreement to a sense of closure and repeat it back to them once more.
Step 6:  Move on	Don’t dwell on the situation. Once it’s resolved let them get on with their day so you can get on with yours.