Diplomacy isn't dead

So, my previous forays with VPSLand.com's support being what seems to be fully staffed by an Indian company incapable of effective communication still haven't been fully resolved.  I've had to ask twice more for my account to be cancelled, and haven't received a confirmation.  If I get a bill, it's a chargeback.  Wee.

Which made me think of the art of diplomacy, and the very over-used dog and stick statement about it.  I'm going to compare the VPSLand, and really any poor customer service experience, with the soccer game I played last night.  Was playing keeper, as usual, and a bit into the second half had a collision between my head and a fast moving foot.  Dare I say, a kick, even.

I've been kicked many times, and people tend to handle it differently.  I think I've addressed that before, but for the most part unless it is a very solid kick it is shrugged off.  It always irritates me when a player rushes a keeper who is obviously going to get the ball first in an attempt to either rattle the keeper or just on the off chance that the keeper drops the ball, or in rare cases hope the ref isn't looking at kick the ball anyway.

But diplomacy is what makes it ok.  Last night, I got kicked right in the forehead and it was pretty hard.  The player shouldn't have done it, and that's well known.  He came running in and it was obvious I was going to get to the ball first, but it was a fast paced game and everybody was really pushing themselves.  I don't fault him for playing aggressively, but I do fault him for kicking me in the head.  That sucked.

But, the point isn't being kicked in the head.  The point is how he reacted to it.  He was the first one over me asking if I was ok, apologizing and stopped play (even though I still had the ball.  Yeah, that's right.).  After the game he apologized again and asked if I was ok.

The comparison here is that being a customer, just like in soccer, you're going to get kicked.  Sometimes in the head, sometimes not.  Companies that have a stand-off approach to a dissatisfied customer are pushing the customer to leave.  Period.  Companies that take a sympathetic approach to the dissatisfied customer, even if they can't fix the kick-in-the-head moment, are going to make the customers feel much better about it.

When I think about the customer service experiences I've had in the past that are memorable, both in terms of positive and negative, it really is rooted on this principle.

In most cases customers have choices, as a business you must understand that.  If someone was kicked in the head as a result of your service, reflect on their experience as a customer not on yours as a business manager or owner.   At the very least, it will save you from my wrath.