June 14, 2007Your Busy Season is Not My Problem
When Chris called the pool service to tell him their new, expensive liner leaked, the provider said he would check it out, and added,
- You’ll have to remember this is our busy season.
There are two problems with this comment. First, no one likes hearing they have to do anything. Second, this provider has an obligation to his customers. The fact that it’s his busy season is his problem and not the customers’. His words implied that he expected his customers to bear the brunt of his scheduling issues.
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I am guilty of this. It was nice to read the story and take the side of the customer — hearing this remark from someone that you are asking help from is very frustrating and disappointing. Thanks for the story and reminding me how NOT to talk to clients/customers.
Comment by Susan — June 14, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
I fully agree! You should tell a customer what you CAN do for them and not what you CAN’T. I do think it is helpful to give the customer a realistic expectation. The company could have phrased it, “We apologize for the leak and while it’s the start of our busy season we’ll do whatever we can to correct this quickly. Would tomoroow at 3:00 p.m. work or is there a different time you would be available.” You are indicating as the service provider that there may be some scheduling conflicts but you are willing to do what you can to remedy the situation. This lets the customer know your intention and keys them into some potential scheduling challenges.
Comment by Tina Metallo — June 15, 2007 @ 8:03 am
It’s so much easier to empathize with a vendor’s dilemma when you believe they empathize with yours, isn’t it?
Comment by merylrunion — June 18, 2007 @ 12:22 pm