This was the response the newly appointed customer service manager gave me when I was trying to sort out a problem with my car last week.
Because the service team had been unwilling to have a courageous, perhaps confronting conversation with me, what started out as a “goodwill” repair, has turned sour.
My car had been running rough for a few weeks and because it’s a common fault, it was suggested the local importer might contribute to the repair costs. The warranty had recently expired (of course), so I reckoned any help with the bill would be bonus.
After three weeks with them, the authorised dealer had done the repairs. I started the car up and it was still running badly, so I complained straightaway. It transpired that the importer had sanctioned the repair of just one component, and my customer service advisor sent me an email stating, “I understand/agree that the “best practice” would generally be to replace all fuel injectors to eliminate them as the cause, however, with a goodwill claim, they will only cover single parts that have actually failed.”
I explained that if they’d just let me know, and given me the right advise, I would have instructed them to do the job properly, and paid the extra.
It got me thinking about how many sales problems arise and snowball, because sales staff avoid having that necessary, often uncomfortable conversation. I understand why this happens, it’s because they haven’t been trained in how to handle these situations. As a result, they are nervous about upsetting a client, so opt instead to keeping their mouths shut and hoping the problem goes away.
In my case, a simple explanation early on would have solved the problem. I could have then decided on what I wanted them to do.
Instead, the goodwill has turned sour and I have switched to another mechanic.
It’s tough enough to win a client in the first place. Keeping them sometimes necessitates having courageous conversations. Be certain your sales and customer service teams are trained and able to hold these discussions with confidence.
