So what does that have to do with your business you say?  We don't get a lot of complaints.  That very fact can have two different implications:

• Your services / products are very good and your clients / customers are completely satisfied
• Your services / products are not what the clients / customers expect and they can't bother to take the time to complain.  Rather they vote with their feet and go to the competition.

For instance, when your organization receives a call from a customer, do you truly listen for their concern?  Or, are your folks more anxious to provide one of their practiced responses.  Listening takes more than just hearing the words.  It requires considering the tone of voice, the emphasis placed on words or phrases.  It requires that you paraphrase what the individual is saying to ensure your understanding is the same as theirs.  In other words, it requires effective listening skills.

OK, so your folks are listening and understanding the concerns being expressed.  But, do they truly comprehend what the issue means to the client.All too often we hear phrases like, "we will send you out a replacement as soon as we get the defective back in our facility.  "Sounds like you are addressing the concern, right?  However, it does not address the issue of the client not having the use of that product or service while the item is being sent in for repair / replacement.  In these instances, there is no evidence that the organization comprehends what the problem means to the client.  How they are impacted has not been addressed.

This brings us to the response phase of such a call / email / letter.Do your people respond with empathy or do so begrudgingly?  Responding positively means to provide the best win-win solution for all concerned.  No doubt in some situations there is not anything that can be done to maintain that client.  That being said, you can always leave the client with a positive impression of caring.  This they will take with them when they speak of this situation to others, and believe me they will speak of it to others.

To get back to the fact that client service is everyone's issue.  Take a few minute to think of how concerns are addressed within your organization.  Do you have a situation where the fault is deflected to another area rather than being accepted as feedback on how to improve?  Do your departments truly listen to one another?  Do they comprehend how they impact the overall image of the organization in the eyes of the client?  Do they respond positively with solutions or negatively with excuses?

The ability to LISTEN; COMPRHEND; and RESPOND appropriately is at the very core of how successful an organization is in servicing their clients.  How is your organization's LCR?

© 2008 The Newman Learning Group Inc.