A crisis at work is oftentimes unavoidable. Let’s face it, your company isn’t invincible, and it definitely isn’t free from the critical eyes of your customers. Inevitably, something will go wrong. Whether it’s an angry customer who you charged way too much to for a product, or losing profits in an unforgiving economic recession, a crisis is going to happen.
But I’m not here to scare you away from your own business! On the contrary, at FGmarket, we want to help you learn how you can overcome a crisis when it does occur. Check out some of our tips below.
Assess The Situation
The first step in solving in solving a crisis is to assess the situation and identify all of the contributing factors of the crisis. You have to find the epicenter of the earthquake. Was it a salesperson who accidentally charged a customer’s credit card too much? Or maybe they were rude to them on the phone and now the customer is upset? The crisis could also be totally out of your control, but you still have to pinpoint the problem in order for steps to be taken for its resolve.
Figure Out The Chain Of Command
Who needs to be notified of the crisis now that you’ve identified the source? It could be a manager or supervisor, but it could also be someone with very good communication skills, and someone that will be able to efficiently assess a situation and find the best solution. Whatever the best decision is, you must figure out who to go to first when a problem arises.
Keep Your Cool
Keeping your cool in bad situations is one of the most important skills to remember and practice. It helps you to keep a level head and be able to solve problems without making it worse. Show panic in any way and you could further escalate a delicate situation.
Apologize Where Necessary
The old saying “The customer is always right” has always made me question its truth, but in many cases, it can be trusted as sound advice. It doesn’t literally mean that the customers is always right, but giving them the illusion that they are right will really work to your advantage. You’re supposed to be courteous to your customers, and if you really have made a mistake, apologized to them profusely. You can even give them a special discount as a consolation for your error. They’ll appreciate the gesture, and are more likely to continue shopping with you because of it!
It’ll Get Better
If you feel discouraged, remember that usually a situation will eventually correct itself and get better. All it takes is a little encouragement and a lot of crisis management to make a sour situation turn into a positive situation that will advance your business. If nothing else, you’ll learn from your mistakes and become a better business because of it.