Assuming a service business wants long term customers, they should have a recovery plan to rely on for those days when the service does not perform well. Airlines facing a fog delay, or for a technical reason must know how to handle irate customers. The strategy could involve freebies like snacks, or stay in a hotel, or something else, including a refund for those who don't want the freebies.
A situation arose in the Pune theatre where we went to watch Barfi last weekend. The projector failed, leading to a delay and then a stoppage for 20 minutes in a previous show. Irate customers gheraoed (surrounded) the guy in charge, and he was unable to pacify them. Eventually, he was saved because the equipment started functioning, while the argument was on. What if it hadn't? Did they have a plan B? Apparently not. They could have mollified people by offering a free coffee in their foyer while they set the projector right. That might have helped cool things for a while. Another option would be to offer a substitute show/refund.
Some service providers handle this well, some don't. One can have role plays and training for these situations, to help employees cope up.
A situation arose in the Pune theatre where we went to watch Barfi last weekend. The projector failed, leading to a delay and then a stoppage for 20 minutes in a previous show. Irate customers gheraoed (surrounded) the guy in charge, and he was unable to pacify them. Eventually, he was saved because the equipment started functioning, while the argument was on. What if it hadn't? Did they have a plan B? Apparently not. They could have mollified people by offering a free coffee in their foyer while they set the projector right. That might have helped cool things for a while. Another option would be to offer a substitute show/refund.
Some service providers handle this well, some don't. One can have role plays and training for these situations, to help employees cope up.
2 comments:
I thought the default plan B was to have a hotline to the local brawn? In fact that is a legit operation - Brawn hotlines in the yellow pages.
I remember a Patel grocer in Michigan advising me nonchalantly - Maat Aao (don't come) when exposing some crawling protein in a bag of rice..
very good input..thanks
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