{"id":1913,"date":"2021-10-13T23:37:01","date_gmt":"2021-10-13T15:37:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/professionalizeit.com\/?p=1913"},"modified":"2022-09-09T09:21:42","modified_gmt":"2022-09-09T01:21:42","slug":"customer-service-recovery-from-outer-furniture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/professionalizeit.com\/index.php\/2021\/10\/13\/customer-service-recovery-from-outer-furniture\/","title":{"rendered":"A Lesson on Customer Service Recovery from Outer Furniture"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Lesson on Customer Service Recovery from Outer Furniture<\/h1>\n

I\u2019ve been doing customer service and sales <\/span>training<\/a> for a long time. So long that \u201cthey\u201d say not to put the length on my profile for fear I might have age discrimination. Sigh. My family cringes when there is a customer service issue, and I provide feedback on how the employee could do better.<\/span><\/p>\n

I have a customer service story that\u2019s textbook on how to handle a customer\u2019s service disruption.<\/p>\n

The Order<\/h3>\n

A few months ago, I decided to purchase <\/span>Outer Furniture<\/a>. If you have any kind of social media and have researched outdoor furniture, I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve seen the glowing reviews. I worked with Lauren on my order. She was incredibly responsive and arranged for my order to be held and ready at the beginning of October when I would be at my place in Las Vegas.<\/span><\/p>\n

About a week before I arrived in Vegas, I got an email that my order was being prepared. Amazing! <\/span>They actually did what they said.<\/strong> <\/em>Then, I got a call to schedule the shipment delivery \u2013 one day after my arrival\u2014mind blown.<\/span><\/p>\n

Day of Scheduled Delivery<\/h3>\n

On the day of scheduled arrival, I organized my day to ensure I\u2019d be available for delivery. I waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, in the afternoon, I decided to call the shipper. After a long hold, she said <\/span>my order wasn\u2019t shipped and to call the shipper<\/strong>. So sad!<\/span><\/p>\n

I tried calling the number on the website and got voicemail. WHAT. Then I emailed Lauren. Within a few minutes, she called me back and said she escalated my order but that she couldn\u2019t do anything beyond that. Bummer. So I waited. And waited. Then I started wondering if the company took my order and my money and was a big social media scam. Armed with these thoughts, I scoured social media to see if other people had this complaint. Sure enough, some people had order issues. One person suggested contacting the CEO on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n

So I did. I sent messages to all of the people on LinkedIn I could find (don\u2019t judge). Knowing I wouldn\u2019t get a response, I just felt better telling my story. I went to bed and woke up the next day, no messages from Outer, nothing. Every hour, I started calling the phone number on the website just to see if I could connect with someone. Finally, after the fifth attempt, I reached Lo.<\/p>\n

Lo explained that she knew of my situation and <\/span>listened with empathy<\/span><\/em><\/strong> about my concerns. She said that she would take care of it, and I was in good hands. About 45 minutes later, <\/span>I received a CALL<\/span><\/em><\/strong> from Allison. She was the person responsible for fulfillment at Outer. Again, <\/span>she listened with empathy<\/span><\/em><\/strong> and said that she was working on getting my furniture and would make it right.<\/span><\/p>\n

I checked LinkedIn. <\/span>ALL the people I messaged replied<\/span><\/em><\/strong> (ok it was three people) and said the order was being addressed and <\/span>provided a sincere apology<\/span><\/em><\/strong> for my service experience. Amazing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, Allison texted me. Yes, now I have this woman\u2019s direct texting line. She said my order was picked up and would be delivered TOMORROW. Yes, tomorrow.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Order Arrived!<\/h3>\n

The next day, I received the order. Each huge box I opened revealed one beautiful piece of furniture after the other. I was ready to send glowing reviews on every social media page. Then I opened the last box. So sad. Broken chair.<\/p>\n

I took a picture and sent it to Lo and Allison. Now wondering what the hassle would be to get a replacement. I also messaged back Terry Lin on LinkedIn with huge thanks for the beautiful furniture and the sad one broken piece.<\/p>\n

Not 30 minutes later, my phone rings. From a random number. I sometimes like to talk to telemarketers, so I answered IT WAS TERRY. <\/span>Yes, the co-founder of the company picked up the phone to apologize. <\/span><\/em><\/strong>Then, we talked for a bit about the challenges they\u2019re facing with supply chain, growth, and how they were working on it.<\/span>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Allison and Lo worked together to get the replacement chair to me within a few days. My furniture is beautiful and comfortable. I love it.<\/p>\n

Lessons Learned<\/h3>\n

There are many lessons learned here. First, you now know I like to spam everyone in my freak-out moments. But seriously, <\/span>listening is one of the most powerful tools<\/span><\/em><\/strong> in your toolbox when a customer has a service-related issue. Next, <\/span>communication throughout the process<\/span><\/em><\/strong> defuses the situation and stops the spin. Customers want to be over-communicated when they have a service disruption. Finally, when you can, take action.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>