When Someone Else Is Not Responding (No Callback)
Robert Bacal
THE SITUATION
In the workplace, we all work with and depend upon other employees. Unfortunately, colleagues may not return calls promptly or fulfill their commitments to customers. On occasion you may run into a situation where you receive a call from a customer complaining that one of your colleagues hasn’t responded to phone messages from the customer. Since the customer has managed to contact you, it’s likely he’s going to vent his frustration on you. How do you deal with this situation, particularly without criticizing your colleague?
TECHNIQUES USED
■ Empathy Statements (1)
■ You’re Right! (2)
■ Provide Explanations (3)
■ Offer Choices/Empowering (4)
■ Arrange Follow-Up (5)
■ Apologize (6)
DIALOGUE
In this situation, the caller has been trying to get in touch with Bob, and has left several urgent messages requesting that Bob return his call. He manages to call you.
Customer: I’ve left at least three messages for Bob, in the last two days, and I haven’t heard from him. What kind of outfit are you running there? Doesn’t anyone return calls?
Employee: That’s got to be frustrating for you (1).We try to ensure that all calls are returned within one working day, but obviously something has gone wrong. Let me check to see if Bob has been in, or perhaps he’s been sick (3).
Customer: Even if he’s sick, shouldn’t someone be covering his calls? Or doesn’t your company follow proper business practice?
Employee: You’re right (2)! Whatever the circumstances, you should have received a return phone call. I’m checking right now to see if Bob is in.Yes, he just returned from a meeting. I’ll tell you what (3). If you give me your name, and what you’re calling about, I’ll walk down the hall and explain the situation to Bob. If Bob can’t call you within an hour, I’ll see if someone else can. One way or another, someone will call you within the hour, let’s say by 5:30. Is that OK (4)?
Customer: No, it’s not OK. I want to know what’s happening now, before I hang up.
Employee: I can do that. If I can place you on hold, I’ll talk to Bob right away, or I can call you back in five minutes (4).
Customer: OK. Call me back then. The employee ends the conversation by apologizing, then speaks to Bob.Whatever the outcome, the employee personally calls the customer back (5, 6) (follow-up) and tries to solve the customer’s problem.
EXPLANATIONS
These situations can be frustrating because both you and the customer may be annoyed due to someone else’s behavior over which neither of you have control. As with most irate customer situations, the employee begins the response with an empathy statement (1), and then explains that the company strives to call customers back within one business day (3). Notice the explanation about callbacks is kept short, because the truth is that the company policy is of little relevance to the customer at this point in time.
When the customer points out that someone ought to be covering the phone for an absent employee or one taken ill, the employee takes the opportunity to use the “You’re Right!” technique (2).
The next part of the conversation is directed at trying to solve the customer’s immediate problem—getting in touch with Bob, or someone else who can help him as soon as possible. The employee offers alternatives so the customer gets to choose what would be best for him from a range of possible options (4).
Finally, the conversation ends after an agreement has been struck about follow-up (5), and with the employee offering an apology (6). Needless to say, the employee (or someone) must follow up in the agreed-on fashion or risk the customer going from irate and frustrated to fullbore angry.
HINTS
It’s important that you do not make critical remarks about the co-worker who didn’t return the call, even if that coworker has a history of this kind of behavior. For example: “Oh, Bob is always late returning calls” is completely inappropriate and puts Bob, your company, and you in a negative light. It can also cause problems with your coworker.
The more you can go above and beyond the call of duty in resolving this difficulty, the better. You can’t necessarily deflect the customer’s anger resulting from a sloppy colleague, but you can act in ways so that you won’t get painted with the same brush.
See Also: 56. When a Reservation/Appointment Is Lost and You Can’t Meet the Commitment, 58. When a Customer Complains About a Known Problem