You Don’t Have to Be Perfect, Just Dependable
Travel has a way of teaching you a lot about customer service, especially when things do not go according to plan.
When everything works the way it is supposed to, almost any company can look good. The flight leaves on time, the room is ready, the reservation is correct and the bags show up where they are supposed to. That is the easy part.
The real test comes when something goes wrong.
A flight gets canceled. A hotel loses a reservation. A cruise line changes an itinerary. Weather causes a delay. A traveler is standing in an unfamiliar place trying to figure out what comes next.
A couple of these happened to me on my most recent trip, and it was frustrating.
That is when customer service gets real.
And while those examples come from travel, the lesson applies to just about every business here in Blount County. Most customers understand that things happen. They know businesses are run by people, and people make mistakes. They know weather, technology, vendors and circumstances outside our control can create problems.
What customers have a harder time accepting is being ignored.
I have always believed that people can handle bad news better than they can handle silence. If there is a problem, tell them. If something is delayed, explain it. If you do not have the answer yet, say that too, but let them know what you are doing to get one. That has held true in every industry I have worked in. Silence usually means bad news.
Most people are pretty reasonable when they know what to expect. What frustrates them is feeling like they have to chase someone down just to find out what is going on.
That is one of the biggest things travel has reinforced for me: Communication is not something extra you provide after the sale. It is part of what the customer is paying for.
If someone hires a contractor, they are not only paying for the finished job. They are paying for confidence that the work is being handled. If someone works with a banker, attorney, accountant, insurance agent or real estate professional, they are paying for expertise, but they are also paying for access, updates and somebody who will answer the phone when they have a question.
Travel is no different.
Anybody can go online and book a hotel room, airline ticket or cruise in a matter of minutes. The value becomes a whole lot clearer when plans change or somebody needs help.
That is where customer service really shows up.
One of the simplest things any business can do is tell the customer what happens next. If something is going to take three days, say three days. If you cannot get back to them until tomorrow, tell them that. If you are waiting on another person, company or department before you can give an answer, explain that too.
Setting expectations may not seem like much, but it can make a huge difference.
The other thing I have learned is that customers should not have to manage your business for you. They should not have to understand which department handles what, which vendor caused the problem or who inside the company dropped the ball. They just want the issue handled. Period.
Sometimes another person really does need to get involved, and that is fine. But there is a big difference between saying, “That is not my department,” and saying, “Let me see what I can do to help you get this taken care of.”
Those two responses feel completely different to the customer.
That phrase — “Let me see what I can do” — goes a long way.
It does not mean you caused the problem. It does not mean you are promising something you cannot deliver. It simply tells the customer that you are willing to take some ownership and help them work toward a solution.
That matters.
In travel, there are plenty of things no one can control. Weather happens. Flights cancel. Ships change ports. Suppliers make decisions. You cannot promise a customer that nothing will ever go wrong.
No business can.
What you can do is make sure they know you are there when it does.
I also think we sometimes overcomplicate customer service. It does not always take some huge gesture or dramatic solution. A lot of the time, it is the little things people remember.
Returning a phone call.
Sending an update before they have to ask for one.
Remembering someone’s name.
Explaining something in plain English.
Following up after the transaction.
Asking, “Did everything work out?”
None of those things cost much, but they build trust. And in a community like Blount County, trust still matters.
People talk. They tell their friends who took care of them. They tell co-workers who went the extra mile. They also remember who disappeared when there was a problem.
That is why I think one of the biggest lessons travel teaches about customer service is that you do not have to be perfect.
You just have to be dependable.
Customers want someone who communicates. Someone who takes ownership. Someone who does what they say they are going to do. And when something goes wrong, they want someone who does not disappear.
Travel may take us hundreds or thousands of miles away from home, but that lesson is pretty local.
Every business is eventually going to have a problem.
The question is not whether something will go wrong.
The question is what your customer will say about you after it does.