I returned recently from a cruise where so many mistakes were made, I decided to revisit this topic. Mistakes are to be expected, I get that, but knowing how to recover an angry or frustrated customer into a loyal customer is a learned art. A Customer Focused Attitude is critical for successful service recovery. Employees need to be trained to anticipate and identify potential problems, as well as have the experience to make decisions and to deliver skillful solutions to customer problems. 

One of the most effective approaches is to take full responsibility for the lack of communication.  After all, it may well be that your question was unclear.  Why not give the other person the benefit of the doubt?  You might confess you don't remember whether she gave you the information you needed...or acknowledge that you may not have grasped her explanation.  Unless the person is being evasive, she'll be glad to comply.

- Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, Ph.D., and Wendy Patrick Mazzarella, Reading People

If you can, take your time in developing a solution.  A number of studies have suggested that often, the second or third solution you come up with is best.  When possible, suggest multiple solutions to the customer, saving the one you think will work best for last.

- Roy Barnes and Bob Kelleher, Customer Experience for Dummies

Our "Picks" this time focus on these very important customer service topics:

1. Implementing cohesive customer service standards and policies that EVERY employee learns, practices, and adheres to.
2. Understanding that exceeding customers' expectations requires an approach that focuses on every single customer touchpoint and all factors that engages their senses.
3. Gaining customer loyalty requires not only exceptional care of your happy customers, but also effective efforts that reengage and impress your unhappy customers. (Teaser alert: below this article you can download our wildly popular eBook on problem resolution.)

Keep on reading to get advice on tackling all three of these customer service topics.

Mistakes are to be expected in service situations, but knowing how to recover an angry or frustrated customer into a loyal customer is a learned art. A Customer-Focused Attitude is critical for successful service recovery.  Employees need to be trained to anticipate and identify potential problems, as well as have the experience to make decisions and to deliver skillful solutions to customer problems. The statistics below show just how important company reactions are to service loyalty. 

Business disappointments come in many different forms, and problem resolution is a dangerous one. Some disappointments you can anticipate, and the recovery is handled well, while others take you by complete surprise and leave you baffled at how the company has stayed in business. I, sadly, have one such story that has left us baffled. Often we share stories about how a service recovery situation saved us as a customer. The initial challenge was frustrating, but the company's response to the situation was well handled and feelings were neutralized.  This story does not have this result.