DR. PRADEEP SALGAONKAR elaborates on taking personal ownership of problems and working towards solutions which will ensure customer loyalty and business growth
Murphy’s Law famously states, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” In the business world too, things always don’t go according to plan, especially in the domain of customer care, this often comes true – despite the best efforts and focused actions, mistakes happen, systems fail, and customer expectations are not always met. The true test of a company’s value lies not in its ability to avoid mistakes, but in how it responds when things do go wrong. Customers do get unhappy and disappointed due to failed service and service encounters. While these situations may look like inevitable hurdles, the way companies respond when things go wrong is what truly defines their customer relationships. Instead of seeing these moments as setbacks, businesses that take personal responsibility for every such act, can turn them into opportunities for growth and ensure customer loyalty. By taking personal ownership of problems and actively working toward solutions, companies can not only recover but bounce back with a bang by strengthening their bond with customers, fostering strong trust ties and driving long-term retention and loyalty.
Here are two anecdotes:
The biting shoes − Customer A is desirous of buying a branded pair of shoes. A good pair may be recommended by medics or some experts for foot care. She does not mind paying a high price for these shoes but she needs a good pair of shoes. Her purpose is that she should have comfort for her legs while walking. She has been using certain good brands like Nike and Adidas with satisfaction. But now she wanted a pair that would be recommended by experts as the best and comfortable pair of shoes for walking. After preliminary searches and information from friends and colleagues she decides to buy a pair of shoes from ‘Skechers’. One fine day she goes to the store, looks at the available choice and settles for a particular pair of shoes. She tries on the shoes. She takes a round in the store and finds them comfortable. She settles the bill of around Rs. 13000/- and comes home happily. Next day she wears the new pair of shoes and goes walking. Come home and what she observes; is shoe bites at several places on the feet. She ignores as the bites are not severe. Next day again she wears the shoes and goes walking. Back home she is in pain. The bites have worsened. There are boils at several places on the feet, the skin is bruised and the feet are in bad pain. She decides to go to the store and report the matter to the store people. When she arrives at the store, slightly nervous, not knowing how the store people would react because she had used the shoes for two days. When she enters she is greeted by the same sales executive who sold the shoes to her. She feels slightly relaxed seeing the same face attending to her. She removes the pair of shoes and narrates the entire story to him. The sales executive asks for the bill and the bill is given to him. The executive checks the bill, checks their records and says, “No issues ma’am. We will take care of your problem. Although we cannot refund the money to you, we shall exchange the shoes for you. Please choose any other pair you want or the same pair in bigger size and try that. We shall arrange it for you.” She heaves a sigh of relief, feels happy and moves on to choose her new pair of comfortable walking shoes.
The personal responsibility that the sales person took to provide care to this customer and the employee empowerment that is provided by the company to its sales executives is commendable. The service that had actually failed due to some reasons is not only recovered satisfactorily by this sales executive but he has managed to gain the trust of this customer as well. There is no doubt that this customer will remember for life the good treatment given to her by this sales executive. And, there are very high chances that this customer will come back for more purchases and certainly spread a positive word of mouth about the store experience in her circles.
Tell the Manager − A busy retail hypermarket witnesses a situation as the queue goes on growing and there is no movement happening in front. Customer B after filling the cart with items on his shopping list comes and stands for billing in the queue that does not move but keeps growing bigger from behind. There are only two billing counters in the entire store and the waiting lines are long. However, this particular line is just not moving ahead for last several minutes. Curious to know what the matter is, customer B leaves the cart in the line and comes out of line to check what’s going on. To his surprise he notices that at the billing counter there is a young person with cart full of items who is discussing with the billing clerk something. Upon closer observation he notices that this person is picking up each item, checking its rates, again getting it verified by the billing clerk, keeping some in a separate cart and keeping some items to be taken back in the store. A customer standing on the cash counter and making choice of his items to be purchased from a cart full of items and the billing clerk entertaining him when several other customers are waiting for more than 15 minutes in the line…..That’s ridiculous.
Now, our customer B cannot tolerate this anymore. He goes to the billing clerk and enquires as to what is happening. To his query, the customer who is creating nuisance reacts and says “This is going to take time; you better go to the other billing counter.” How rude! Our customer B does not respond to this customer, but politely requests the billing clerk to finish off this person’s billing quickly so that the others can move on. However, to the customer’s utter surprise the billing clerk does not give any heed to this request. Customer B again tells the billing clerk, now by getting his attention, that what is going on at the billing counter is not appropriate and because of one customer’s fancy, many other customers are being put to hardship. The billing clerk reacts indifferently. He says “I cannot do anything. I am assisting this customer. If you have any problems, tell the manager.” How uncouth on part of the billing clerk; utterly unexpected behaviour.
When customer B goes in search of the manager, there is no sight of any manager in the entire store. Nobody seems to be taking responsibility. How unprofessional and insensitive towards customers. Disappointed by the entire incident, customer B comes back to his cart, moves it away from the waiting line to one side and walks out of the store empty handed, never to return back to this store.
Here’s the difference between an employee taking personal responsibility and one who does not. The retail store employee just blew up the service. A very bad customer service leads to utter dissatisfaction of customers. Had he to take personal responsibility, the service would have been much better. This matter and employee mentality, if not fixed early, it is surely going to ruin the business for the. God save them!
Comparing these two anecdotes throws light on the way how some businesses consider their customers as everything and that they exist because there are customers and they are ready to go that extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction. Whereas, on the flip side one gets to witness businesses that are just not bothered about the customers and live in the world where they say ‘take it or leave it’. How long will such attitude work? And, how long will they continue to be in business? Such businesses, like the retail store mentioned above, need to seriously think on their customer handling strategy and work on it, or be ready to exit the business one day. ‘When things go wrong’ what works is ‘Taking personal responsibility’ For employees and businesses alike, taking personal responsibility means being accountable for one’s actions, business-goa delivering on promises, and going the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction. This concept goes beyond merely fulfilling job duties and assigned roles; it reflects an attitude of ownership and commitment that fosters trust, loyalty, and positive relationships with customers. Personal responsibility refers to an individual’s willingness to own their actions and the consequences of those actions. In customer care, it’s about acknowledging mistakes, addressing the issue directly, and working towards a solution, rather than deflecting blame or making excuses. It requires empathy, honesty, and a proactive attitude. While it may seem simple, the impact of personal responsibility is huge. It can turn a frustrated customer into a loyal advocate. When a customer encounters a problem, they want to feel heard, respected, and valued.
They expect someone to take charge of the issue and ensure that it is resolved. Personal responsibility plays a vital role in fulfilling these expectations. By owning up to a problem, whether it’s a product defect, a missed deadline, or an unintentional oversight, companies send a message to the customer: “We care, and we are committed to making this right.” In customer care, mistakes are inevitable. Things will go wrong, whatever care one may take. However, how those mistakes are handled defines the customer’s perception of the company. By taking personal responsibility, businesses can recover from errors, build trust, and ultimately drive customer retention. Owning the outcome and committing to making things right is not only a powerful recovery strategy but also a means of transforming challenging situations into opportunities for long-term loyalty.
