Walk With Your Customer Through The Problem

As a Servant Sales Person or any other kind of sales person, the fact is, you will have some problems associated with what you sell. The critical thing is that you walk with your customer through the problem and work to manage or solve it for him or her. I have sold in an industry for many years where we set up an opportunity to sell our product to members of an organization. At one point we hired a sales person who criminally took credit card numbers from our customers to pay personal bills. I can’t tell you the pain, anguish, and humiliation I felt as I went in to explain this violation to the leaders of the 4 organizations involved. It was one of the most difficult moments of my life.

I was amazed, when 3 years later, these organizations each called me back to do another program with them. I’m not sure I would have been so forgiving. In fact, I’ve switched vendors for much less. But here’s my point, many customers will endure a poor service experience if you are straight with them, take the heat, and work closely to get the issues resolved. If you excuse it, bail on them, fail to take responsibility, or remain disengaged, you’ll lose the account. I guarantee it.

If you work in an industry that depends on repeat business, that benefits when a customer returns to buy over and over, stay close to your customer. Stay even closer when they’re having a problem. If you work in a rare industry that rarely gets repeat business, stay close anyway. It’s the right thing to do.