Before You Pass That Buck......

I was at an event last week when a gentleman walked up to me, and asked “are you a staff of this organization?” I replied in the affirmative, and he let out a relieving “thank God”. He then went on to explain what happened to me. He was invited for the event via SMS, but mistakenly deleted the SMS. As a result of this, he was denied entry- and this really infuriated the customer. He was practically shaking with anger as he explained his plight. I apologized for the embarrassment, sought the assistance of a senior colleague, and after several minutes of sorting out the logistics, the guest was allowed in. After the event, He searched for me, gave me his complimentary and made me promise to get in touch.


What I did was clearly out of my jurisdiction. I was not a member of the planning committee; I represented a different division, and my task was spelt out so clearly. I could have easily directed the aggrieved customer to an anonymous person and walked away. I could have easily passed the buck, but I didn’t. The fact that the customer heaved a sigh of relief was enough to convince me of the power I wielded as a brand ambassador- and I made up my mind not to disappoint him.

As customer service professionals, this is the exact impression customers have when they present their query. They see us as the ultimate problem solvers, and that explains their disappointment when they seem to be tossed around. Most certainly, all queries cannot be resolved by customer service professionals- even when the queries directly relate to what we handle. But for those that are not, let’s try to be there for our customers. That irate customer may just need soothing words to calm down; you may not be a marriage counsellor, but a customer believes in your ability to make him/her feel better. Hence his/her reason to walk up to you. Customer service is a lot more than helping out customers. It’s also about creating an everlasting good impression as brand ambassadors whose organization is not just a composition of bricks, but one with a human face.