Refocus On Your Customers

The old adage that "the customer is always right" should be the rule for customer service—but at the same time heed the warning, "don't give away the store." I encourage our staff to meet immediately and personally with customers and let them air their complaints.

We have found that the vast majority of customers with complaints calm down considerably after they have been allowed to tell their story to us without any interruptions. Once they're through, offer the customer some sort of compensation. A discount is far less expensive than a rerun of the job, and usually that is all it takes. If handled politely and professionally, a potentially confrontational situation can be turned into repeat business.