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It's Only Common Sense: Problems are Opportunities

Editor's Note: To listen to Dan's weekly column, as you've always done in the past, click here. For the written transcript, keep reading...Have you sought out and overreacted to a customer problem today? It’s a huge opportunity.

                                                           --Tom Peters

What a great quote from one of the best. Peters hits the nail right on the head. There's no greater way of making your bones with a customer than overreacting to a problem your company created or, better yet, your customer created. The way you handle a problem shows customers what you're made of.

Anyone can be a great vendor when things are going well, but, when times are tough and things go wrong, that’s the time to show your customer how much you care; that’s the time to show you'll walk to the ends of the earth to make the relationship right again.

Every company should have a well thought-out plan to put into action when something goes wrong whether it be that your product is late or worse yet that your product fails. You must be prepared in advance so that when the time comes you can put your emergency plan into play.Strive to be the kind of company that is always ready to overreact--the kind of company that kicks into high gear when there's something to be fixed. If your customer is hurting and you have delivered the hurt I would venture to say that there's no such thing as overreacting to make things right. This should be your default--your knee-jerk reaction.

Legends are made when companies fix problems. When a customer is hurt by something going wrong with your product or service its high blood pressure time for that customer. In addition to the problem you've caused him, he also has the anxiety of dealing with you, telling you about it, and waiting to see what will be done. He doesn’t know if you'll agree with him and do something about it or if you'll disagree and create an antagonistic situation. Too many times these days the latter prevails.

Arguing with the customer at this point only adds kerosene to the fire. He does not want to hear your arguments; he wants you to fix the problem. Now, to qualify this, you must make sure you caused the problem. But, even when you share the blame, it's always better to overreact. If it's completely the customer’s fault, but you manage to find a way to save his proverbial butt, you will still be a winner in the long run.

Consider the relief you'll both feel when you hear about the problem and you go out and repair the damage and go into high service mode to make sure that you're doing everything you can to make things right--you overreact.

The customer will not only be grateful for what you are doing, but will remember it for life. Delivering customer service in times like these will make your company legendary. You will be creating a customer experience that will be talked about for years to come.

Do you remember the famous Tylenol incident? How about the one where Nordstrom took back snow tires from a customer who was unhappy with them even though the store doesn't sell snow tires? Or how about L.L. Bean with their no questions asked return policy--even if the boots you're returning are 20 years old. We’ve all heard these stories even though we weren't there. Think about that for a minute. Why do we know these stories? Why do they represent a cliché of super customer service? We know about them because they're legend and the companies are legendary.

The way you react to a customer problem or complaint can make your company legendary too. When dealing with customers you must err on the side of the customer...always. If you're the leader of  the company you must show by example that the customer is always right by overreacting to customer problems. You must make sure that all employees follow suit. You must create an over-reactionary culture, if you will, where everyone in the company overreacts when a problem emerges.

Mr. Peters was right again: Seek out a problem and overreact to it and you too will be known as the Nordstrom or L.L. Bean of your industry and that’s a great thing. It's only common sense.