Page 45 - Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization

CHAPTER FOUR

Recovery!

Turning Service Failures Around

Breakdowns in service are unavoidable. An ice storm forces you to miss
a customer’s shipping deadline. A waiter drops a tray in a customer’s
lap. A computer system goes down. A key person walks out on you
with no notice—on the only day you couldn’t possibly arrange cov-
erage.

All of this, potentially, is good news.
Service breakdowns are uncomfortable, and they require training to
resolve. But you’ll find an opportunity hidden inside your company’s
worst moments: the opportunity to bring a customer closer to you.
Indeed, you can learn to handle service breakdowns so masterfully that
they actually help you to create loyal customers. Our method is out-
lined below.

The Italian Mama Method

The archetype of an adoring Italian mother is the spirit behind our
approach to service recovery. Picture a doting parent after a toddler
takes a tumble:

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