Taking ownership of problems

- Have you ever gotten the runaround as a customer? Perhaps someone said they would call you back, but they didn't or you got transferred from one department to another, but nobody could help you. Maybe somebody assured you the issue was fixed, but it still kept happening. These are some of the most frustrating experiences for a customer. In most cases, they could have been prevented if only someone took ownership. Taking ownership involves accepting responsibility for finding a resolution, even if it means putting in extra effort and navigating around obstacles that get in the way. This video explores ways taking ownership can help you provide outstanding customer service. But first, let's examine some reasons why it might be tempting to avoid taking ownership. One is, that's not my job. Customers might come to you with problems that someone else is supposed to solve. Taking ownership doesn't necessarily mean that you personally solve the problem. Rather, it means making sure a problem gets resolved, even if you have to coordinate with someone else whose job it is to take care of that issue. Another one is, I don't want to get blamed. It's natural to want to avoid being blamed for a problem, especially if you did not create it. Ownership is a process for steering away from blame and focusing on finding a solution. Finally, you might think, I don't have time. It can be difficult to take ownership of a situation when you are already very busy. However, avoiding ownership is often worse because the problem doesn't go away. Keep in mind, customers can view you as representing the entire company and don't care who does what. They just need someone like you to step up and help resolve the issue. Accepting responsibility for solving a customer's problem often starts with the language you use. Let's look at some examples where employees use deflecting language to avoid taking ownership. - That's not my job. You have to talk to someone else about that. - I have no idea. They really don't tell me stuff around here. - Who told you that, that's not our policy. - You could probably imagine those responses wouldn't go over very well with customers. Deflection puts the problem back on the customer and essentially says, I'm not going to help you. Here's what those same employees would sound like if they used ownership language to accept responsibility for finding a solution, even when they need a coworker to help. - Let me introduce you to my coworker. She's an expert in this area. She'll know how to help you the best. - That's a good question. Let me find out for you. - Let me see what I can do to help you. - One benefit of taking ownership is it can help you prevent customers from getting angry. Taking ownership feels like you're on their side and want to help them resolve their problem. If a customer does get upset, you can often use ownership to help them quickly feel better. Think of it as customer service Judo where you take all the energy that's focused on the problem and redirect it towards finding a solution. Here are three steps you can take to accept ownership. The first step is to acknowledge the problem and the customer's feelings so customers know you're there to help. For example, you might start by saying, I'm sorry that happened or I can understand why you're frustrated. The next step is to refocus on finding a solution. Try to refocus the conversation on moving forward and solving the customer's problem. So you might say, let's see how we can solve this. The third step is follow up. In cases where you don't personally fix the problem, it's still important to ensure the problem gets fixed. For instance, you might follow up with a coworker to make sure a problem was solved or check in with your customer to see if they are happy with the solution. I encourage you to practice taking ownership with the customers you serve. The next time you encounter a problem, look for opportunities to make a difference by making sure the problem gets solved.