Reminder: Problems and Complaints Are Gifts!
Whether you're solving a problem or resolving a conflict, the ultimate goal of each process is to arrive at a solution that will create positive customer and co-worker experiences. The steps we're going to walk you through are similar to what you learned about conflict resolution - without the added step of gently guiding heated feelings to a level of objectivity. Problem solving is very much about fun - about coming up with creative solutions that may seem small in the moment, but actually move your Customer Appreciation Cycle another step forward!
How? Studies show and we have found anecdotally that the most loyal groups of customers that companies have are those customers who have had a problem resolved to their satisfaction or delight on the spot! The better (and quicker) you become at defining, analyzing and solving your customer's problems, the more trust you'll build and the more strength you will add to the relationship.
That makes sense, yes? You exist to solve your customer's problems. This ties right into your lessons on value. Remember? Your customers want your products and services to be Right for their unique needs, Ready when they are, and Reliable. They want to know that the Relationship between cost and benefit is a good value, and they want Relevant value-added extras.
If an error is made in the delivery of any of those R's, the customers who take the time to tell you the problem are giving you a second chance - they're giving you the opportunity to be Responsive when it comes to service and support, and they expect you to have Recovery systems and processes in place to correct errors. So by empowering your people with problem solving skills, you're adding value to your customers' experience!
Sadly, most customers don't complain and don't give us the opportunity to solve their problems. They may be too busy, they don't want to deal with the hassle, they don't really believe their problem will be solved and sometimes, in certain industries such as insurance, they're afraid to complain. On the other hand, customers who do come to you with problems are telling you they like you and want to keep their relationship with you! They're telling you they trust that you will handle their problem well, and that there's something you can improve upon - a service gap. No matter who they come from, problems are gifts to your organization!
Read on to learn a basic framework for handling problems, along with a variety of tools to support that framework.
KEEP IT SIMPLE, SWEETIE
Learn this easy process, teach it to your people, and watch your problems be transformed into learnings that feed your profits:
1. Acknowledge The Problem
In other words, let go of denial and be conscious of opportunities to solve problems as soon as your radar picks up on them. Sometimes we choose not to acknowledge problems because we know it will create more work for us and take us outside our comfort zones. Acknowledgement of a problem opens the doors of responsibility and accountability; when we admit there's a problem we take ownership of it and are able to be proactive.
Yay! By now you know that being responsible and accountable enhances the service basics and creates thriving businesses. And you also know that when you leave your comfort zone, your skills are sure to grow. It begins when you call problems as you see 'em.
2. Explore the Problem
If the nature of the problem is not apparent, it's time to ask questions to uncover all its dimensions. Think of yourself as a roving reporter assigned to a cool story; some of your most important tools are those basic questions - 'The 5 W's and An H' - that you learned in school: "Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?"
In Michael Gelb's wonderful book How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci he gives us the inside scoop that the master himself used some of these very basic questions to solve problems. Da Vinci's whole life was an exercise in creative problem solving. He always began with intense curiosity and an open mind and then proceeded with a stream of questions from different perspectives.
As we've been teaching you, the ability to ask differently framed questions increases your chances of finding more solutions. There's a difference between the question, "What is the meaning of life?" and "How can I make my life more meaningful?" Be sure to frame your questions from both philosophical and practical views.
Here are a few questions from Gelb's book and from our own experiences to get you started:
- Who...is involved in this problem...can help...has information...cares about it...?
- What...are the facts...happened...do we know for sure...?
- When...did it start...does it happen...doesn't it happen...?
- Where...does it happen...can I find data...haven't we looked...else has it happened...?
- Why...is it important...did it start...does it continue...?
- How...does it happen...can I look at it from a different point of view...can it be affected...?
For every set of answers, keep asking, "Why...why...why...why...?" in order to go deeper into the explanation.
The answers you get are preparing you for the next step.
3. Define the Real Problem
When problem solving it's important to define the real problem - which isn't always the presenting problem. In our scenario last week, the budget imbalance appeared to be the problem, but it was only one of a multitude of other issues resulting from the company's growing number of unhappy customers. The budget was one symptom of the problem.
If, after the last step you still need some clarity in defining the real problem, ask yourself, "What do I intend to achieve?" and answer in positive terms. In their problem solving mode last week our CSM and VP agreed that, in essence, the company intended to achieve maximum profitability by pleasing and delighting customers - not making them angry and frustrated.
By defining what you want to achieve in positive terms, you have a direction to move in your analysis. "We want to be more profitable by creating better experiences for our customers. We want to discover the obstacles to this goal and remove them."
4. Look at a Number of Perspectives on the Problem
You know that everyone in the company has something of value to give to the company - and that includes their perspectives on specific problems. So continue to be a 'reporter' and check out as many sources as possible. Go to people from all parts of the system you manage - inputs, processes and outputs. For example, collect perspectives from the customer service department, warehousing, shipping and sales. Sometimes answers come from very unlikely places. It's often a person who's NOT exposed to the situation every day who has the perspective and objectivity needed to solve the problem. Remember that a number of perspectives are important; even if you're working alone, use your imagination to find different ways to view the problem. Ask yourself, "What's another way to look at this?"
5. Develop and Explore Options
Talk to others, use one of our brainstorming tools (to follow), explore the benefits and consequences, advantages and disadvantages of each alternative. Find out if you need additional information before you set a course of action. (In last week's example, the CSM and VP determined that other department managers would have to be included in the solution since they're really all involved.)
At any point in this process you may find that the problem that really needs solving is not the problem you first discovered. It's critical to remain objective. Be open-minded and flexible - like a reporter - to keep your senses on the alert for relevant leads. There's nothing worse than working all the way through the process to find out the solution is useless because it doesn't address the correct problem.
Our VP initially identified the problem as being financial - and might have solved it by mandating that the CSM cut costs back by 20%. Taking that wrong turn would have eventually made things even worse. Because they took the time to zero in on what was really happening, instead of implementing a random cost cutting solution, they're spending their time and energy more effectively to learn what exactly made customers unhappy enough to call.
6. Determine If the Solution Will Work
To borrow another step from last week, this requires that you evaluate the options to determine if they're doable. At this point you'll ask questions like, "How can we make it happen? Who will pay for it? Can it be done quickly? Does it add value to the customer experience? Does it meet the customers' needs?"
7. Develop a Value-Based Solution
Create an explicit plan for the solution, outlining each set step, including who is responsible for what, completion dates and follow-up. If you're solving the problem with a group and people have different assignments, you'll need agreement on the steps. Most problems however, you'll be solving on your own and on the spot. If the problem is a simple one - go right ahead and implement your solution - just DO it.
Make sure the solution is in alignment with your customer care strategy and your organization's vision, mission, purpose and values. Solutions are more likely to stick when there's true alignment.
