05/ 22/ 2006
by Carol Wissmann
Caught in the conundrum of wanting to keep and please a customer or client, but constrained by company policy or the reality of requests that are too impractical or impossible?
Don't despair. Darby Checketts, speaker and trainer to government agencies and hundreds of companies such as Gulfstream Aerospace, Intel and BlueCross/BlueShield of Arizona, has devised a simple three-step process to avoid disappointing, angering or even losing a customer with the dreaded "no" word and preventing the occasional over-commitment of a too hasty "yes."
In his book, Customer Astonishment: 10 Secrets to World-Class Customer Care, Checketts suggests using the A-C-T principle when you can't agree, but you want to avoid being disagreeable.
A: Acknowledge the customer's requests and needs. A brief recap of what they asked for or an indicated appreciation of their point of view can buy you time to collect your thoughts, while reassuring customers that you heard them and understand their position.
C: Ask questions probing the circumstances of customers' inquiries or requests. "Before giving a knee-jerk answer, make sure you understand the why of what they're asking," Checketts says. Going beyond a superficial want can uncover a need that can be solved with more options than you initially realized you had. Listen. Really listen.
T: Tell them what you can do. Checketts notes that even partial solutions are better than a roadblock. They are a vast improvement over an otherwise negative response and indicate your willingness to work toward a mutually agreeable solution.
Checketts adds that A-C-T is equally applicable internally as it is externally. Indeed, the principle works as well with co-workers, friends and family as it does with customers. "And don't expect your employees to be more service-oriented or willing to A-C-T than you are in dealing with them," he warns.
"A-C-T is all about discovering options," Checketts concludes. "99 percent of the time 'no' indicates a lack of creativity."
