I deposited cash in an ATM. The cash door closed and the ATM coughed out my card. That was it. The ATM never asked if I wanted a receipt or to complete another transaction. My money disappeared into the machine and I had no clue if the bank deposited the cash in my account.
I walked into the bank and explained what happened. Everybody was polite and apologized for the trouble. The bank allowed me to use one of its offices to call the “claims department,” which explained it would credit the money to my account by the next morning. As long as the money shows up in the morning, the bank overall handled my situation well.
When I first explained the situation to someone inside the bank, he gave me two options: I could talk to a personal banker or call the claims department. He explained the personal banker was busy and he couldn’t fit me in for several hours. That’s why I decided to call the claims department. I suggested calling from the bank. I feared the claims department might send me into a black hole. Leaving the bank and calling from home might diminish my chances of someone sympathizing with my situation and resolving it quickly.
When the man inside the bank told me the personal banker was not available to assist me with my matter for several hours, I could feel the tension and adrenaline within trying to convince me to break my promise of keeping calm. I almost blurted out “You need to fit me in considering your ATM just took my money!”
Telling a customer the problem your company caused can’t be resolved face-to-face for several hours is, in most cases, a big blunder. Most of us have watched other customers piercingly make clear in a store or business how they feel a company screwed up. Everyone listens and stares. When someone walks in still in “calm” mode and respectfully explains your company’s slip-up is costing him both time and money, solve it. At least try to resolve it. Telling customers they need to wait in line or call someone else sitting in a cubicle at an unknown place is asking for trouble. People, especially these days, live on short fuses, and you don’t want other happy customers Tweeting about the guy screaming in the lobby.
We all appreciate schedules. But you shouldn’t plan a trip so you arrive at that important business meeting with one minute to spare. You build in extra time. So you shouldn’t staff your office and schedule their hours in a way that prevents your business from handling unexpected issues. Customers often become your biggest fans when you handle tough situations fast and fairly. Don’t fail that test. The next guy who walks in worried his hard-earned cash just disappeared into the magic money machine may otherwise decide to address the situation with a few four-letter words no one really wants to hear.