Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/376303
17 Cover Story You can't do anything to address a customer complaint until you know exactly why they're mad, says Chas Voyles, regional manager of fl eet services at Navistar, and chairman of the Technology and Maintenance Council's (TMC) Service Provider 'Confl ict Resolution' task force. To do that, you have to listen, which Voyles says is sometimes easier said than done. "People struggle with listening," he says. "When a customer comes in complaining it can throw you off; a lot starts going through your head. If you aren't focused on listening, you can miss the root cause of a problem." Voyles says his task force has identifi ed a number of tips that can help in listening and grasping a cus- tomer complaint. Among the tips are retreating to a private location, allowing a customer to speak fi rst and taking notes during all conversations. (For more on documentation, see page 22.) Each aspect is valuable, Voyles says, because it puts you in position to dedicate all your attention to the customer. Away from distractions, some confl icts can be ended in one or two conversations. "Listening is very important because a lot of times a customer will take [a confl ict] personal when it's not," adds James Williams, senior direc- tor of vendor relations at FleetNet America. "If you don't listen, they can take it that you don't care, and that's no good for either side." When listening it also helps to be sympathetic, Williams says. While some customers will exaggerate the severity of their complaints for sympathy, most customers aren't going to complain unless they've been seriously inconvenienced. And not every customer who shows up angry is angling for a discount. Showing a customer a willingness to sit down and intently listen to their concern can sometimes be all they really need, says Kenneth Calhoun, vice W W W . T R U C K P A R T S A N D S E R V I C E . C O M S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4 | T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E onfl icts with customers are unfortunate yet unavoidable. No one achieves 100 percent customer satisfaction all the time. But even though confl icts can't be eliminated, they can be controlled. Through well-developed confl ict resolution strategies, aftermarket operations can minimize customer confl ict triggers and create simple, repeatable solutions to right their customers' wrongs. Here are four tips for building a confl ict resolution plan in your operation.