Frontline workers decision making ...

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Empower Front-Line Workers, closest to the decision, with decision-making authority to increase customer satisfaction!

A frequent and frustrating complaint about customer service we receive, is the lack of authority front-line workers have to make authoritative decisions regarding a customer's account or business. Instead front-line workers defer authority to supervisory management, which in turn often defer it further up the chain of command. Customer satisfaction and performance will traumatically increase if decisions-making is allowed by the person closest to the customer decision.

By Lars G. Harrison

"I am sorry, but I can't help you. I must ask my manager for approval," the customer service agent says. And you wait an additional twenty minutes for the manager to come on the phone. This repeats itself again and again. But customers are so used to this scenario and with the realization that even their complaints will not reach the higher authority or acted upon, there is no stopping the train of customer dissatisfaction. And when that once-in-a-blue-moon air of refreshing comes by a pleasant voice, hardly no waiting time, and your problem is fixed in a few minutes and you're off the phone before you know it, you feel like sending a bouquet of flowers to the customer rep and the President. So how can that Paradise Lost Be Once Again Regained? Well, here is my admonition and request to the management of all businesses involving customer service.

Record all types of problems and anticipate new ones.

Write out solutions for the problems in a training manual. Ensure that everyone dealing with customers first hand understand the problems and the solutions, and have them sign a training statement after receiving the training. You should cover and be able to handle minimum of 80% of the problem this way and only defer the 20% or less difficult scenarios.

Realize that the customer is the boss. Be courteous to ensure all his/her needs and expectations. No profanity should be allowed, terminate the call immediately.

Lars G. Harrison can be reached at lars_harrison@yahoo.com.