Can things go wrong in a business? As a customer, we all have experienced delays, malfunctions, equipment breakdowns, system failures and of course human error. It happens! A Robert Burns poem, “To a Mouse“, says it best and reads; “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft agley.” (The best laid schemes of mice and men / Often go awry.) ” There is no doubt that things sometimes go wrong and can often affect the customer experience. The question I have for you is do you have a plan for when things go wrong? Unfortunately most businesses don’t.
After returning home from a speaking engagement in Denver, I was able to experience firsthand a malfunction or something going wrong. It appeared the airport’s baggage handling area was being renovated and under construction. Only one baggage carousel was operating causing a big delay in people retrieving their checked bags. upon entering the area, I quickly noticed a huge mob scene in front of the only operating carousel. I am sure the airport staff felt they could still handle the load and move the luggage efficiently. However, when I got to the baggage claim area, eight flights had arrived at the same time causing a huge problem and delay. The carousel stopped numerous times due to the over loading of bags, pilling up and continuously jamming the carousel.
There was luggage everywhere, people climbing over unclaimed bags, pushing away others and you could sense the frustration building. As I looked around assessing the situation, I was surprised to not see any airport staff present or trying to deal with this chaos situation. Obviously they had to be aware that this situation could occur when a large number of flights arrive at the same time. Did they not know when these flights would be arriving? Should they have had a back up plan or at least have staff available to assist and reassure customers that they are on top of things?
Finally, a few airport staff arrived and now had to deal with an even larger problem of trying to un-jam the huge pile-up of bags, crowd control as well as dealing with many frustrated customers who had to wait long periods of time just to get their bags. It appeared to me, and most of us, that the airport staff did not prepare for this situation nor did they even have a plan.
Most of us realize that construction projects or improvements can cause an inconvenience to customers. We get that. But what frustrates most of us is when we wonder if management had a plan in dealing with the inconvenience or is even concerned about the situation. That makes any business look bad and can be very damaging to an organization”s reputation and eventual bottom line. On the other hand, a well conducted plan or how a business reacts and handles a potential bad situation can enhance the customer experience, build customer loyalty and maintain long term profits.
Even the simplest problems or situations need a plan to deal with it that will result in the least amount of inconvenience for customers. Every business should be reviewing with their staff and ask the question; “What could possibly go wrong?” Then come up with solutions, alternatives, service recovery and possible refunds if warranted. For example; What is your plan if any of these situations occur in your business?
- Returned merchandise without a receipt?
- Guest dissatisfaction of a product?
- Busy times of the day such as lunch or dinner periods for a restaurant?
- Holiday time and special sales events in retail shops?
- Delivery of the wrong products or delay in receiving products?
- Machinery breakdowns, frozen computers, phone system malfunctions or even shortness of staff?
- Routine maintenance work that may cause delays, blockage of areas, even closed facilities?
- Miscommunication or the lack of communication on the part of staff or policies?
Every business should discuss and have a plan in place when identifying possible problem situations. While managing resort properties for Disney, my team always had a plan for when things could go possibly wrong. Especially if we were made aware of new construction, pool maintenance, monorail breakdowns, etc. All employees were made aware of these challenges, trained to deal with them and to be empowered to do what ever they can to show concern and take care of our guests. We even notified guests in advance and put signs up around the area apologizing for any inconveniences. Staff were then recognized and rewarded for handling these situations properly and effectively.
Perception is everything. If the staff perceives management not planning, asking for input, or caring for customers during these difficult situations they will only become apathetic, lackadaisical in their reactions and concerns for the customer. Not to mention the disappointment and frustrations on the part of the customer who truly believes that no one around here cares. Not a good recipe if you are trying to create a magical customer experience.
We all know that things can go wrong. However, businesses that have a plan or show genuine concern for making it write for the customer will always win. Do what ever is necessary to make sure the overall customer experience is not affected or only slightly affected by any mishaps, particularly if you are aware ahead of time that these can and will occur in your business. If done the right, I promise you the result will be positive and the customer experience will remain MAGICAL!