[The following article appears in _The_Public_Sector_Network_
News_, Winter 1995 edition, pages 1-2.]

                      THE ART OF "SERVICE RECOVERY"

Rules of Quality Service:
(1) Do it right the first time.
(2) Fix it if it fails.
(3) There are no third chances.
     Service, service, service! Yes, the word is woven into the
work culture of the Department of Parks and Recreation. But, no
matter how customer friendly we design our process to be,
sometimes it just doesn't work out the way we planned. This is
the time for Service Recovery. It is the art of "fixing it" for
the customer. The way an organization overcomes everyday mistakes
distinguishes a true quality service organization.
     Research has shown that customers who experience a service
foul-up and get a satisfactory resolution to their problem are
nearly as happy as those who get good service the first time.
"The acid test of a service delivery system is how you solve
customers' problems," says Leonard Berry, professor of marketing
at Texas A&M University and a nationally known service quality
researcher. Berry found that the best customer satisfaction
ratings come from customers who have experienced no problems;
close behind are those who experience a problem that is resolved
satisfactorily.
     Once we realize that even after a foul-up, there is still a
chance to satisfy (even delight) the customers, it behooves us to
prepare for the inevitable. In other words, have a plan for how
to return the customer to a state of satisfaction. Nonetheless,
not every customer will give you a chance to make things better
--many will simply go away mad and not complain to you. But, they
will tell everyone else about the poor service!
     The bottom line is to do it right the first time, but if you
don't, make sure the service recovery hits the mark.
     Not that this is new to you! Even if you don't refer to it
as "service recovery," many of you intuitively know and practice
service recovery as a normal part of your job. A recent example:
     On a Monday in June, Carol Sprow and the maintenance crew
from Sugar Pine Point State Park were replacing old concrete fire
rings with new steel rings. Campsite 119 was vacant and not
anticipated to be occupied that day. The crew had removed the old
fire ring from the site, removed rocks and debris, and left to
have lunch and pick up the new steel ring. When they returned,
they found the site occupied. The camper moved her vehicle to
allow the back hoe access, but when the operator started digging
and the dust started to fly, the camper became (understandably)
very upset and without saying anything to the crew, went to the
contact station to file a complaint!
     While the camper was gone, the crew scrambled to complete
the installation, placed a couple of logs for seating by the fire
ring (a little extra touch), and dusted off the camp furniture.
Most important, the crew left a note apologizing for
inconveniencing the camper, and (after checking with the unit
supervisor) told her she was entitled to a refund of that
evening's camp fee, courtesy of the maintenance crew.
     The next day the camper had moved on but left this note at
the contact station:
"Dear Carol,
     Thank you very much for the kind offer and your apology.
Your apology was warmly received and all that was necessary. We
have always had our best camping experiences at Sugar Pine and
have years of happy memories. And we appreciate the hard work it
takes to make our camping so delightful."

Six Steps to Service 
Recovery

     "OOPS! Time for Service Recovery," a video by Salenger
Films, suggests that there are six steps to successful service
recovery:

1. Apologize.
     A simple "I'm sorry" will do. It is so simple, but research
shows that these words are missing in more than half of the
service breakdowns we experience. Part of the reason may be that
uttering "I'm sorry" may seem to mean "I've failed" or "I am the
person to blame." But it need not be an admission of guilt. "I'm
sorry" simply acknowledges that things have not gone right in
your customer's eyes and that you are part of a system that aims
to correct the situation. 

2. Listen, empathize, and ask clarifying questions.
     Listening is an active process. Customers can tell if you
are not giving your full attention. Let them express their
feelings. Doing so will allow you to gather the information you
need to rebuild a connection with this customer. Show that you
understand what the customer is saying and that you care. But
don't cross the line and get into sharing or mimicking the
customer's feelings (e.g., getting angry-like they are!). Rather,
aim to understand the feelings.
     An angry customer may not be terribly rational. After
listening for a while and demonstrating that you are concerned
about the situation, ask questions to get a clear and complete
picture of the problem. But don't begin asking questions too
soon. Let them speak their piece. Wait until the emotions have
subsided to begin asking questions.

3. Solve the problems quickly, in partnership with the customer.
     Once you have gained the information you need from the
customer and have checked into other sources of information (as
may be needed to get a clear understanding), begin developing
solutions together with the customer. This partnering simply
means presenting solutions as options, allowing the customer to
say, "Yes, please do." Or, if the solutions are not obvious,
partnering means asking how the customer would like to see the
problem solved. Either way, the customer is involved in the
problem resolution.

4. Offer atonement.
     A major part of a completed service recovery is taking that
extra step "to make it up to the customer." This step worries
many of us, as it sounds like we have to "give away the store" to
please the customer. Not true. Atonement means giving what is
appropriate to recover a valuable customer. It does not mean,
"Oh, since you were disturbed and did not sleep well in your
campsite last night, I'll give you a week of free camping!" More
appropriately, it might be, "Since you are planning to stay for a
week, how about staying an extra night on the house?" 

5. Keep your promise.
     This step is doubly important because the service glitch in
question is, to the customer in at least an unstated sense, the
first broken promise. Broken promises on top of broken promises
make merely frustrated customers furious and can sabotage any
chance of rebuilding the customer relationship. Be realistic
about when and what you can and cannot deliver.

6. Follow up.
     Following up simply means confirming what went wrong has
truly been put right. And it tells the customer that you really
care. Follow-up is especially important when recovering from a
complex problem where you have fixed a problem out of the sight
of the customer. Before you contact the customer, check within
your organization to make sure that solution has been
implemented. Then, follow up to ensure the customer is satisfied.

Sources for article material:
"Service Recovery: Doing It Right the Second Time," Ron Zemke and
Chip Bell, Training magazine, June 1990.
"OOPS! Time for Service Recovery," Salenger Films, 1635 12th St.,
Santa Monica, CA 90404-9830.
For more information, contact: Pete Williams California Dept. of
Parks and Recreation 1416 9th Street Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone:
(916) 653-6160 Fax: (916) 657-3903