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Have you ever found yourself bad-mouthing another member of your department while trying to resolve a problem or situation that person caused? What sort of reaction did you get from the customer?
What if you fix the problem without saying anything. And then the customer asks "Why did so-and-so tell me this, when what you did was so much different?"
...like so:
"I don't have a good answer for that, but I'll follow up with him (perhaps an "and our manager" might be appropriate, use your judgement) and, if you would like, I'll get you an answer." (You don't really know why..."Joe is an idiot" is not an acceptable response, and you weren't standing there)
Some things will happen from this:
First, you begin to defuse your customer's irritation. You really dont' know why Joe said that, and admitting that, then offering to follow up with the customer when you do know, helps to immediately lower the customer's blood pressure. In fact, most times I would bet you'll get "No, that's ok...but thanks" for an answer to your offer. (note, if your customer says "Yes, I'd really like an answer to that." follow up with Joe, and maybe your mutual manager, and find out what happened. This may be the time to make your manager earn some of his paycheck...delegate responding to the customer up to him.her if it's appropriate.)
Second, maybe there is a training opportunity for Joe.
Third, you may, when your done, get a smile and a thank you from the customer..who is the sole reason for our existance/paychecks. You built or reinforced a bridge...nice job.
"I don't have a good answer for that, but I'll follow up with him (perhaps an "and our manager" might be appropriate, use your judgement) and, if you would like, I'll get you an answer." (You don't really know why..."Joe is an idiot" is not an acceptable response, and you weren't standing there)
Some things will happen from this:
First, you begin to defuse your customer's irritation. You really dont' know why Joe said that, and admitting that, then offering to follow up with the customer when you do know, helps to immediately lower the customer's blood pressure. In fact, most times I would bet you'll get "No, that's ok...but thanks" for an answer to your offer. (note, if your customer says "Yes, I'd really like an answer to that." follow up with Joe, and maybe your mutual manager, and find out what happened. This may be the time to make your manager earn some of his paycheck...delegate responding to the customer up to him.her if it's appropriate.)
Second, maybe there is a training opportunity for Joe.
Third, you may, when your done, get a smile and a thank you from the customer..who is the sole reason for our existance/paychecks. You built or reinforced a bridge...nice job.
A good following-up procedures should be taken for re-building a positive image to customers. At the same time, let the boss to know what's happening is also important. It would be fair to your input
the school district I work for has that exact problem, a lack of planning and each of 23 techs and 3 managers can give the client 26 different answers. One middle school principal complained he wasn't taking anyone's advice because 6 different techs gave him 6 different solutions, then the manager gave him yet another.
I knew the clients were unhappy and whenI transfered out of District IT I found out how REALLY unhappy they were. No wonder the calls went way down, No one wanted to deal with us. District IT says it's improved "service" lead to the decrease in calls and pretends nothing is wrong
I knew the clients were unhappy and whenI transfered out of District IT I found out how REALLY unhappy they were. No wonder the calls went way down, No one wanted to deal with us. District IT says it's improved "service" lead to the decrease in calls and pretends nothing is wrong
As for your question. A united front presents itself as a conspiracy to cover up mistakes and conceal the truth. Bad mouthing is a double edge sword and it cuts both ways. At times it appeases the customer while also giving the appearance that you work with incompetents. The big down side to that is someone had to hire an incompetent and also retain an incompetent so to speak that poisons the well and if the well is poisoned so is all the water that is drawn from it.
The thing to do is start right from the beginning and set ground rules for both the company and the client. It is a two way street. If the client has an issue they contact a designated person and that person decides what is said. All the other folks defer to that designate and everyone on the team needs a canned spiel to say to the customer which includes employee's either contacting the designate and working as a group to define the company line which all leads back to the designate.
On the other hand even although the customer is the customer they have no right to put anyone on the spot where they could either have their career damaged or be fired. If for no other reason it places the customers company in a liability situation and that means the the customer needs a designate and that is worked out in the beginning.
Certainly the common folk (working class, you and me) should not need to deal with both their job and the nonsense of a foul up. You and I should and need to concentrate on our tasks (if for no other reason to prevent the furthering the foul up) and leave all that other nonsense to someone else (the designate). We need to be focused and it obviously helps to get focused if you completely concentrate on the task at hand and not both the task and the spiel. United we stand and divided we fall and that goes for our attention and the impact it has on our quality of work as well.
What you say can always come back on you regardless of how the individual you speak to responds at the time you say it. If fact deferring to another can have a dualistic reception. So having control over what is said is best for everyone. It may be awkward and not well received by everyone or everytime but it prevents issues in the long run and that is the intent. Everyone eventually gets informed and everyone is on the same page. Perhaps not as each individual desires but it works.
The old tale about the best kept secret is the one you keep to yourself. Once you tell anyone you have lost control and have nobody but yourself to blame for the result.
Everyone involved needs to be informed but that takes the assertiveness of control to do it right.
Telling the customer that you will find out, although well intended places you in a position that you could unwittingly be lying. You may not be able to get the answer and you said that you would. It is an easy way to loose credibility.
Saying anything can come back on you at anytime. It is usually best to say little at all and choose those words very careful. It is often best to have someone else do the talking and you do the work. Perhaps that is sad but it is often true.
The thing to do is start right from the beginning and set ground rules for both the company and the client. It is a two way street. If the client has an issue they contact a designated person and that person decides what is said. All the other folks defer to that designate and everyone on the team needs a canned spiel to say to the customer which includes employee's either contacting the designate and working as a group to define the company line which all leads back to the designate.
On the other hand even although the customer is the customer they have no right to put anyone on the spot where they could either have their career damaged or be fired. If for no other reason it places the customers company in a liability situation and that means the the customer needs a designate and that is worked out in the beginning.
Certainly the common folk (working class, you and me) should not need to deal with both their job and the nonsense of a foul up. You and I should and need to concentrate on our tasks (if for no other reason to prevent the furthering the foul up) and leave all that other nonsense to someone else (the designate). We need to be focused and it obviously helps to get focused if you completely concentrate on the task at hand and not both the task and the spiel. United we stand and divided we fall and that goes for our attention and the impact it has on our quality of work as well.
What you say can always come back on you regardless of how the individual you speak to responds at the time you say it. If fact deferring to another can have a dualistic reception. So having control over what is said is best for everyone. It may be awkward and not well received by everyone or everytime but it prevents issues in the long run and that is the intent. Everyone eventually gets informed and everyone is on the same page. Perhaps not as each individual desires but it works.
The old tale about the best kept secret is the one you keep to yourself. Once you tell anyone you have lost control and have nobody but yourself to blame for the result.
Everyone involved needs to be informed but that takes the assertiveness of control to do it right.
Telling the customer that you will find out, although well intended places you in a position that you could unwittingly be lying. You may not be able to get the answer and you said that you would. It is an easy way to loose credibility.
Saying anything can come back on you at anytime. It is usually best to say little at all and choose those words very careful. It is often best to have someone else do the talking and you do the work. Perhaps that is sad but it is often true.
This article notes very aptly the need for all resources to speak to one another, and communicate accurate information so that a good job can be done by everyone.
This helps to instill in the customer that you know what you are doing and will do the best you can at all stages of problem resolution.
I have been in IT for 15 years now and have seen this example over and over again. All of this is due to a lack of communication between services, (help desk, desktop engineers, server team and networks). In this industry there is still far to much protection of "turf" and not trusting one another's experience.
The best companies support and encourage team members to ask questions and get accurate information from one another. I sincerely hope a few managers and staff read this article it is very good!
This helps to instill in the customer that you know what you are doing and will do the best you can at all stages of problem resolution.
I have been in IT for 15 years now and have seen this example over and over again. All of this is due to a lack of communication between services, (help desk, desktop engineers, server team and networks). In this industry there is still far to much protection of "turf" and not trusting one another's experience.
The best companies support and encourage team members to ask questions and get accurate information from one another. I sincerely hope a few managers and staff read this article it is very good!
I'm not in an IT group myself, but I am in a group that provides support to a large and diverse set of clients. The basic message that one does not badmouth colleagues to clients is applicable to my group just as it is to an IT group.
Another thing we've learned is also, I think, applicable to IT groups: if a client has a question to which I do not know the answer, instead of saying "oh, you have to call so-and-so, I can't help you with this," a much better response is, "I don't know the answer to your question, but I WILL FIND OUT AND GET BACK TO YOU."
Then, of course, having made a promise one must fulfill that promise!
In any service, whether to internal or external clients, what a client wants above all is for somebody to OWN THE PROBLEM without giving them the runaround.
Another thing we've learned is also, I think, applicable to IT groups: if a client has a question to which I do not know the answer, instead of saying "oh, you have to call so-and-so, I can't help you with this," a much better response is, "I don't know the answer to your question, but I WILL FIND OUT AND GET BACK TO YOU."
Then, of course, having made a promise one must fulfill that promise!
In any service, whether to internal or external clients, what a client wants above all is for somebody to OWN THE PROBLEM without giving them the runaround.
The attitude I described in my previous post is demonstrated outside the IT sphere by an experience I've had many times when traveling abroad:
1. I have a problem. I approach a local to ask for help. It quickly becomes clear that my command of the local language and this person's command of English are both limited.
2. By some combination of broken English, broken whatever language, and lots of arm waving, this person gets a good idea what my problem is.
3. It turns out this person cannot help me.
4. Instead of just saying, "sorry I cannot help you," frequently in my experience at this point the person will CALL SOMEBODY ELSE who might be able to help, and then rapidly explain my problem to the person they call, thereby at least saving me the effort of communicating my problem all over again.
1. I have a problem. I approach a local to ask for help. It quickly becomes clear that my command of the local language and this person's command of English are both limited.
2. By some combination of broken English, broken whatever language, and lots of arm waving, this person gets a good idea what my problem is.
3. It turns out this person cannot help me.
4. Instead of just saying, "sorry I cannot help you," frequently in my experience at this point the person will CALL SOMEBODY ELSE who might be able to help, and then rapidly explain my problem to the person they call, thereby at least saving me the effort of communicating my problem all over again.
Great analogy. I think of it this way: it's great if I know the answer or can help. If not, then I try to direct the person to someone who CAN. In other words, I'm still adding value, or, in football terms, I'm still moving the ball forward.
and do your job. Show unity. Have you ever heard one policeman talk bad about another? No way. That's teamwork. Don't talk bad about your colleagues. I can't tell you how many times during my 14 year I/T career I have been SO glad I did NOT bad-mouth my colleagues. I've never regretted the things I didn't say.
This is an excellent article that goes back to basic professionalism and manners. When your neighbor complains to you about another neighbor listen but don't add to the "gossip" style of conversation. It solves nothing and makes you as guilty as the offending party. Same goes for customers calling in to your company. As the article states, deal with the problem employee later, and again in a private manner. Not out on the floor but in a private meeting.
With the neighbor or anyone else that complains to you about someone else. Just keep in mind that this person complains to others about others and is likely to complain about you. More over they are likely to add your comments when complaining to others and in doing so they will know you complain too. That plays right into the "Best Kept Secret" that I mentioned in another post.
The old tale about the best kept secret is the one you keep to yourself. Once you tell anyone you have lost control and have nobody but yourself to blame for the result.
The old tale about the best kept secret is the one you keep to yourself. Once you tell anyone you have lost control and have nobody but yourself to blame for the result.
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