Managing customer service crisis

Trust is like a piece of china, once broken it will never be the same again. The broken scar will always show no matter how much you might try to mend it

Just like in any situation, customer service does also have some ups and downs and in some cases the crisis may be so great that it requires great skill and diplomacy to fuse it out.

A crisis is anything usually unexpected that may disrupt the smooth flow of business and may range from machine fault, service disruption, public relations hiccup, legal woes or like Covid-19, a physical or public health emergency. Such a disruption may eat into the company reputation, market share and most importantly its revenue inflows.

In customer service, a crisis is usually characterised by an unprecedented huge wave of questions and requests by the organisation’s customers and stakeholders. This is after there is a product or service failure or after a bad encounter with internal customers during a service encounter.

This crisis can be brought to the management’s attention through social media, email, phone calls or in person by just anyone affected.

Nobody anticipates a crisis but it is something that is inevitable, at one time or the other, in the life span of any business.

Organisations like Toyota and Nestle are good examples that have experienced crisis with their products. What distinguishes organisations is the way they respond to such challenging situations.

Pro-active organisations always have a ready-made management plan that is reviewed regularly. This plan must be an indicator to management and the rest of the internal customers how well the organisation is prepared if the unexpected happens.

The external customers should also have confidence in their service provider contingency plans when it comes to crisis management. Some organisations have a disaster/crisis management fund in which they invest certain resources which will cushion them when the crisis arises.

We have all experienced bad customer service with different organisations at some point. Some customers have vowed not to do business with certain entities because of bad customer experience during or after a crisis.

Crises of that nature usually affect a number of customers at exactly the same time. For instance, an electricity power fault or a viral outbreak like corona. Nonetheless, what matters most is how organisations deal with problems of such a nature. Disruptions that affect the majority of the customers must be addressed through a public domain.

An organisation facing a crisis must unite, stand firm and speak with one voice. This is because a crisis that is ill handled can spell disaster because it damages the trust and relationship the organisation has with its customers.

So how do organisations manage a customer service crisis?

1. Restore service as soon as possible

In the event that there is a service failure, service must be restored at the shortest possible time. This helps in mitigating the severity of the impact whilst the crisis is evolving. This new age has conditioned customers to speed and failure to restore service quickly is seen as a service failure. In customer service, speed is a competitive factor, the time you make a customer wait for service restoration is a deciding factor to either deal with the organisation again in future when he or she wants a similar service. Fast is usually good but instant is absolutely fantastic and most customers are willing to pay for the extra speed, because quick response makes price irrelevant. Thus, speed and response time are inseparable

2. Provide regular communication and re-assurance

Organisations must speak clearly, effectively, efficiently and politely. Customers tend to get a good impression of the organisation if its representatives are able to articulate procedures, policies and the issue at hand clearly. When issues are effectively communicated, there is obviously no reason to err because both parties would have a solid appreciation of how their issues is being handled.

Since a crisis is marred with too many unanswered questions, customers appreciate an organisation that answer them efficiently and politely. Reassurance and efficiency in speaking shows that the organisation is aware and have the correct understanding of the crisis at hand. This is enhanced by politeness in their responses as this is a sign of respect and mirrors the image of the company’s reputation. Customer service personnel who are rude surely drives external customers away.

When a crisis arises, organisations must have an empathetic ear and make customers feel free to air out what they really want to share. The environment must be comfortable and not a judgement zone. Maintaining eye contact is necessary and nod in agreement where it is appropriate. Where there is a need to offer an apology, that must be done without delay. Such acts help in assuring the customer that you understand the crisis and how it has inconvenienced their intended plans. The actions of the customer service personnel must show the customer that the organisations is just as upset as them and that the organisation is doing everything in their power to make right.

3. Avail more platforms for easier reach

Quite a number of organisations in the telecommunications industry in Zimbabwe respond quickly when contacted on their social media handles. It is important for organisations to have a wide variety of platforms where they can be reached. Not many people enjoy to be put on hold for a long time especially when there is no perceived value. Some companies have mitigated this by putting technology that would automatically call back the customers when the representatives are free. Some have instant chats option on their websites while some advanced organisations, instead of typing the issue, a customer can actually have an instant voice conversation. Organisations should invest more in channels of communication where customers can reach them easily and at the least possible cost.

Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba, is a marketing enthusiast with a strong passion for customer service. For comments and suggestions, she can be reached on [email protected] or on 0712 979 461