Customer service is full of surprises. Sometimes, no matter how well we plan customer service strategies, something goes awry.  Usually, the customer is the first to know and the associate may be taken by surprise.   How does your team handle service recovery? Is your team prepared to respond in the best way possible when service recovery is needed?

Last month, Confero posed an interesting question to mystery shoppers:

Mystery shoppers observe and report on customer service every day.  What is the one thing an employee or business can do to turn a negative customer service experience into a positive one?

We received many insightful comments, including these:

“It’s the willing spirit that makes the difference; showing that they are listening, and that they want to make things right. “

“When the customer is unhappy, the best thing that can happen is the “Better than equal, before you are asked” approach. Customers are inconvenienced when something is not right. They have lost time from their day, missed a positive meal experience, etc. When the business offers “better than equal”, for example “This meal is free, and we will give you 75% off your next meal with us.” This shows the customer that they matter, and their business is important.

“I purchased a laptop and the battery would not charge.  I took the laptop back to the store and explained the problem. I was given a replacement battery … and I received a coupon for a free computer tune up.  I also just received, by email, a $25 gift card.  They made a loyal customer out of me by going the extra step…”

To see the complete list of ideas on how to turn a negative customer experience into a positive, read the comments on this blog post.