Have you ever tried to organize a project, event, etc where you were reliant upon other people to do certain things and needed everything to time out perfectly? I’m organizing a few projects and events right now, and I’m starting to see my East Coast upbringing coming out.
Maybe it’s just me, but lately I seem to be having a lot of moments when people aren’t calling me back as quickly as I’d expect. So, that leaves me calling them again. And now they have more work to do than if they had just responded the first time, because not only do they have to do that, but also they are going to have to retrieve my other messages and respond to comments as well.
Now, to be fair, I know there are times when I get really inspired and am flying through my list at a dazzling pace. Others may not be quite as energized, and they may have more steps than I realize as well. But I would love to have them let me know that.
So, here’s my customer service tip: Most people will handle “not yet” better than they will handle no news at all. So, when you are talking with people, let them know when you expect to get back to them, and do it, even if things aren’t running quite according to what you expected. The time you save may be your own.
You don’t have to have all the answers when you get back to people. Just let them know that you recognize your responsibility and that they are important. I know it can be a little scary to tell a client less than you had hoped, but what is the alternative -not saying anything, resulting in the client getting frazzled as their mind fills with worst-case scenarios? What if you also have to disappoint them with an answer they won’t like after not having returned calls or responded when expected?
Customer service isn’t a choice. You may not be doing it well, but you are doing it. The choice is the quality of the service you provide. And, that may mean having two short calls instead of one longer, more uncomfortable one. And I bet that may be true for more than clients.