One of the basics of customer service is (or at least should be) honesty. If a problem occurs in a customer service scenario three simple rules should be followed:
- Admit the problem.
- Find the root cause and fix the problem.
- Move on.
While this should be fundamental to all customer service situations, all too often something gets in the way. Whether it be a fear of liability or simple ego too many service providers fail to own up to a problem when it occurs.
Author of the fabulous Evernote Essentials ebook, Brett Kelly, had a customer service disaster and quickly identified a problem that resulted in a lot of customers (and non-customers) getting incorrect emails indicating a purchase had been processed. Brett quickly fixed the problem and has today posted on his blog about it.
Brett goes into detail about the cause of the problem (spoiler alert: human error) and its effect. He offers an apology, and then learns from it.
The moral of the story is summarized nicely by a proverb I’m going to get tattooed across my frickin’ forehead later today: Measure twice, cut once.
This is a good example of a customer service problem being turned around. I suspect he might even gain sales from his honest approach.
