Earlier in the week I had a “challenge” with Time Warner.  Everything is a challenge with Time Warner – too big with too many layers to dig through and the guys at the top in New York could care less about what’s happening on the front lines.  The issue I had doesn’t matter, but the challenge was simply being bounced around the company as one person after another tried to figure out what department I needed to speak with.

I’m a huge fan of WalkTheTalk.com and a number of the different books they publish on customer service, leadership, communication etc.  It’s ironic that this morning as I was trying to think of a topic I ran across the TWO-PERSON-RULE from their 1999 publication, 180 Ways to Walk the Customer Service Talk.

“Adopt the TWO-PERSON-RULE.  Never make a customer talk to more than two people in order to resolve a problem.  If you’re the second person to deal with the customer, you “own” them.  Either solve the problem immediately, or get a phone number and a convenient time to call back.”

I realize most photographers are on their own and rarely have the luxury of more than one other person to help solve customer problems, so let’s modify the TWO-PERSON-RULE.  If you’re a solo operator, make it a point to solve customer problems with the second phone call.  Don’t go back and forth over the customer’s issues.  Listen to their concern, empathize and if you can’t solve the problem right there, call them back within 24 hours with a solution.

Also quoted from Walk The Talk…

“Complainers are GREAT!  They give you the opportunity to fix their problems and keep them as customers – instead of saying nothing and taking their business elsewhere.”