6 Ways Great Leaders Deal with Challenges to Retain Customers

A while back as I was getting my car serviced, I learned 6 valuable lessons about how to make your customers (or clients) happy, even when things go terribly wrong. I’ll save you all the details of the situation, but a job that was supposed to take 30 minutes ended up taking 7 hours. Through the 7-hour long process I dealt with two managers; the first manager avoided me at all costs, and the second manager stepped up and met the challenge head-on—he was a true “leader.” By watching this leader, I learned six valuable lessons that can pay huge dividends with your customers if you follow them.

1. Face-to-Face Conversation

The second manager—let’s call him the “leader”—arrived at work about 5 hours after this ordeal began. However, the first thing he did was find me and talk to me, face-to-face! He knew the situation was very ugly and it became his immediate priority. Unlike how the first manager spent 5 hours avoiding me, the “leader” found me and ensured me he would take care of everything. Leaders often forget how powerful face-to-face conversations can be.

2. Honesty… Always

The “leader” told me everything about the situation including the minor details, then he listened to my concerns, and answered all my questions honestly. He explained what had gone wrong and all the necessary steps they needed to take in order to correct the problem. His openness and honesty immediately built a sense of trust with me. Honesty is always the best policy; even the “small fibs” can do severe damage to your credibility.

3. No Sugar-Coating!

Unlike the first manager who kept making promises he couldn’t deliver, the “leader” was respectful enough not to sugarcoat the situation. He told me exactly what to expect and the severity of the situation. He didn’t make any promises just to make me feel better, and he informed me that it would be approximately another 2 hours because he wanted to ensure everything was corrected properly. I appreciated getting the facts and not a bunch of meaningless unmet promises.

4. Keep The Customer/Client Informed

The “leader” kept me updated about every 30 minutes by explaining what was going on, and how they were progressing. I noticed he was also keeping other customers informed as well. This created a drastic change in the environment; especially the attitudes and behaviors of the customers… everyone in the waiting room seemed to be a bit happier and calmer. When you know your customers are waiting, keeping them informed will keep them calm and out of your people’s business.

5. Take Full Responsibility

Amazingly, even though the second manager (the “leader”) wasn’t on duty when the major blunder occurred on my car, he still took full responsibility for the actions of his team. He took on the burden that the first manager refused to accept or talk about. The “leader” assured me that he was get everything fixed properly. I instantly connected with this “leader” because he genuinely cared about not only fixing my problem, but also about preventing it from happening in the future. I could see the entire work team was more at ease once he arrived; they obviously respected and trusted him.

6. Resolve the Issue or Throw in Some “Comps”

The last hour of my ordeal seemed to take forever; however, the “leader” not only resolved the issue correctly, he also threw in a few comps to make the entire situation sting a little less. These comps were nothing out of the ordinary, but they were enough to show that this leader cared. His heart-felt apology was the most important “comp.” His caring and compassion was enough to keep me as a future customer.

Run to your Challenges! If you notice, there was one primary difference between these two managers; one ran away from the challenge and one ran to the challenge! If the second manager (the “leader”) had not run towards the challenge, the entire work team may have felt defeated and I would no longer be a customer. Running to your challenges can boost the motivation of your entire team and increase your profits. Your team will know that you are there for them in difficult times, and your customers will see that you truly care about them—which will create return customers.

Do you have conflict in your organization? If so, contact Paul today to set up a consultation call to take the first step in minimizing your negative conflict. Paul offers training, speaking, and coaching packages that will fit any organization. Stop allowing negative conflict to stifle your team... Run To Your Challenges! Contact Paul at [email protected] or at 501-743-5614.