We just got back from a trip to my wife’s family reunion up in Utah. We stayed at the Wolf Lodge condominium complex nestled in a beautiful mountain valley known as Eden.
Unfortunately, our experience wasn’t like staying in the garden of Eden. The air conditioning in the condos wasn’t working. When we arrived the temperature inside was 85 degrees and didn’t start cooling down until the sun had set. We never reached a comfortable temperature.
The next day we went and complained to the management. She told us she thought they were bringing a new condenser and that it should be fixed that day. It wasn’t. When we stopped by later that day to see what was happening, there was no manager to be found. We checked out the next day and were again unable to find anyone with whom to speak.
Find Out — Fast
When something goes wrong with your product or service, you must know the details. Find out, as soon as you can:
- what is the problem
- why did it happen
- when will it be fixed
- what you can do to mitigate problems for the customer while it is fixed
If you are armed with this knowledge you can effectively communicate to your customers and help alleviate their concerns. Based on when the problem will be fixed, you’ll need to offer alternatives to your customers.
When you fail to assess and inform yourself of the problem situation, you’ll alienate and lose customers. They’ll feel you are apathetic to their needs and will find someone else who does care.