• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Submissions
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Jul 7, 2022
  • Startup
    • Creating a Plan
    • Funding a Startup
    • Franchise Center
    • Getting Your Office Ready
    • Making Your Business Official
    • Marketing Your New Business
    • Personal Readiness
  • Run & Grow
    • Customer Service
    • Human Resources
    • Innovation
    • Legal
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
  • Leadership
    • Best Practices
    • Communication
    • Green Initiatives
    • Open Culture
    • Strategic Planning
    • People Skills
  • Sales & Marketing
    • Advertising and Lead Generation
    • Marketing Innovations
    • Marketing Plans
    • Online Marketing
    • Relationships
    • Sales Activities
  • Finance
    • Budgeting and Personal Finance
    • Payments and Collections
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Pricing Strategy
    • Working with Investors
    • Working with Lenders
  • Tech
    • eCommerce
    • Hardware
    • Software
    • Security
    • Tech Reviews
    • Telecom
  • Shop

SmallBizClub

Helping You Succeed

Home / Run and Grow / Customer Service / Customer Service Apology is Stronger with a Personal Touch
Customer Service Apology is Stronger with a Personal Touch

Customer Service Apology is Stronger with a Personal Touch

8942 Views

Oct 11, 2013 By Shep Hyken

Every so often at the office we order lunch “to go” from First Watch, a restaurant that is open for breakfast and lunch. It serves up both delicious food and great service. But, as you know, even a great company can make mistakes, and unfortunately, twice in one week my lunch order was wrong.

 
The first time it happened, I just let it go. But two days later, it happened again. Despite the fact that the restaurant employee repeated the order back to us over the phone to make sure it was right, once again I received the wrong item.
 
After the second incident, we did call to let them know about the orders being wrong. We were directed to talk to the manager, Wes Ackerman.
 
Did Wes get defensive? Try to make excuses? Nah, he knew exactly what to do.
 
First, he apologized. He offered to replace the meal immediately, but at that point we didn’t want to travel back to the restaurant to pick it up. He asked for our address, and we assumed that in a few days we might see a gift card arriving in the mail to make up for the mistakes.
 
However, later that day, Wes himself showed up at our office. He again apologized and presented us with a gift card to replace the two meals at a later date.
 
This was Amazing customer service in action. 
 
From the beginning of the interaction, Wes did the right things. During the phone conversation, he sincerely apologized. He accepted responsibility for the mistake, even though he didn’t personally take the order or prepare the food. He was accountable.
 
Next, he offered a solution to correct the problem: replacing the meal. But since we didn’t want to drive back to the restaurant at that time, he still worked to make it right by offering a gift card to cover the cost of the two meals. (By the way, gift cards are always a good solution—the customer has to return to the restaurant to use them.)
 
So far, so good, and many companies may have stopped there. But Wes took it a step further. He went beyond standard operating procedure and added the personal touch.
 
Wes drove to our office to apologize and deliver the gift card in person.
 
The personal touch can make all the difference. It is often unexpected, and always appreciated. You may not be able to drive to a customer’s office to personally apologize, but you can write a personal thank you note. Or make a phone call to soothe a customer’s concerns or offer a needed apology. The power of the personal touch should not be underestimated. Customers know that it is going above and beyond the usual way of doing business.
 
When the inevitable time comes in your business that you need to make an apology, make it better by adding a personal touch. The customer will take notice and it will go a long way in restoring confidence and respect for you and your company.

Filed Under: Customer Service Tagged With: Customer Service, Mistakes, Personalization, Shep Hyken, Solving Problems, Trust

Shep Hyken

Shep Hyken

Shep Hyken is a customer experience expert and the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations. He is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and has been inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in the speaking profession. Shep works with companies and organizations who want to build loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more articles on customer service and business go to http://www.hyken.com.

Related Posts

  • smile---personalization---customer-service-successConsumers Want Personalized Experiences and Products: Here’s How to Do It
  • Attract Clients and Grow Your Business by Tackling Issues Head On
  • the-6-a-s-of-successful-leadershipJackie Meyer Wants You to Fall Back in Love with Your Job: How She Inspires Her Tax Team

Primary Sidebar

Random

7 Things to Consider Before Scheduling Instagram Posts

Oct 5, 2020 By Jeff Bullas

How to Test Prices without Irritating Buyers

Nov 4, 2013 By Outright

3 Top Tips for Keeping Your Flooring Clean

Jun 13, 2019 By Jessica Jones

What Uber Is and Isn’t—and How You Can Benefit

Aug 5, 2015 By Susan Solovic

The Art of Overcommunication: 13 Ways to Be Transparent

Jul 20, 2020 By Drew McLellan

Footer

About Us

Small Biz Club is the premier destination for small business owners and entrepreneurs. To succeed in business, you have to constantly learn about new things, evaluate what you’re doing, and look for ways to improve—that’s what we’re here to help you do.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2022 by Tarkenton Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms | Privacy