The Problem:
Lower-level customer service people should sometimes decide, on the fly, to deviate from policy and make the customer happy. They aren’t empowered to do so.
The Business
Write the book on deviating from policy. It can be a brief business book, a la Seth Godin, that is accompanied by a template for a manual for customer service employees. You can couple that with consulting for organizations on how to implement. This is more than a book, more than a business, this is a movement.
Doableness
Once you write about the problem, everyone will be aware of it. How many times have you heard a customer service person say, “I would, if I could, but it’s against policy.” (Or some variation thereof)
Creating the solution – a policy (or loose set of principles) on deviating from policy – is a little harder. It’s doable though. On some level, I’m saying,
- Have common sense
- Think just a tiny bit about the lifetime value of a customer
- Learn to put yourself in the customer’s shoes
- Promote the brand in everything you do
- Figure out what makes people ecstatic
- Figure out what makes people love you
My Thoughts
I think many low level people would be great, if they were allowed to be.
Hat tip to zishawn for the image.