6 Responses to Problems You Should Avoid
orThere’s going to come a time where something will go wrong – whether because of you or something completely out of your control. How you deal with that crisis can have a negative impact on your business. We want to make sure that doesn’t happen so we collected a few key pointers on how not to manage a crisis and how to help you get through one successfully.
1. Don’t Make Excuses
Some crises that hit you will require you to explain yourself to your clients. In those times, you might be tempted to justify or excuse what went wrong. This is the worst possible way to handle a problem. It can make you look like a rookie in the eyes of your customers. Instead, take ownership of the mistake that caused the problem. You will be respected for it. Respect and perception are huge tools when it comes to growing your business.
2. Don’t Overreact
When a res agent makes a serious mistake that creates a crisis, don’t unleash your inner Gordon Ramsay and let them have it. Res agents are human and we all know some are better than others. Losing your cool on them does nothing to advance the solution. A calm discussion about the problem is more effective 100% of the time and, if that doesn’t work, go up the line to a supervisor who is empowered. If you still can’t get resolution, contact David, Blair and we will be more than happy to help. We have many contacts within the industry. With a solution in hand you can go to your client with the resolution and show them your value.
3. Don’t Ignore Processes
Always expect the worst and try to have a plan in place to combat it. If you aren’t on some level prepared for any kind of crisis, you will be ill-equipped to minimize any damage to your business it can cause. Don’t pretend nothing bad will happen. It eventually will. Anticipate what could go wrong and prepare for it. There aren’t many things in business that can’t be taken care of with a well-thought-out system. If you create a proven way to handle all aspects of your business (and stick to it), the amount of headaches that arise will decrease significantly.
4. Don’t Hide
Some crises will be customer-facing, and in those moments you might be scared to tell them or maybe just hope they don’t notice. That’s a bad way to handle a situation. Be 99.9% honest with your clients. If your issue is going to have a negative effect on them, and there is no way to avoid it, let them know. Nobody likes being blind-sided. Inform, but don’t over-explain. Thoroughly explaining the problem can sometimes come across as making excuses. But be sure to let them know all the steps you went through so, even without a happy resolution, the client will know you have access to resources that they don’t, know you are 100% on their side and you will show your value.
5. Don’t Settle For Offering an Apology, Fix the Problem
When things go wrong in a way that can affect your customers, it can be tempting to take the easy route of just preparing to offer an apology instead of looking for a way to fix the problem. Easier isn’t better. Many times an apology after the fact is not enough, Not doing everything in your power to solve the problem before it reaches your client is one of the worst ways to deal with a crisis. By redefining yourself from being a travel agent to a problem solver and relationship builder will create client loyalty and value that is hard to compete with.
6. Don’t Focus on the Mistake, Focus on the Solution
When a mistake happens that leads to a crisis, you may want to immediately find out how and why things went wrong. Resist that temptation. It is important to find out where and how the mistake occurred, but it does not take priority over solving it. Number 1 priority of anyone should be to take care of your customers. That doesn’t mean you have to ignore how the error came about. Just tackle it later. Once you have completed the task at hand, then go to work diagnosing the who’s and how’s and fix it in a professional manner.
1. Don’t Make Excuses
Some crises that hit you will require you to explain yourself to your clients. In those times, you might be tempted to justify or excuse what went wrong. This is the worst possible way to handle a problem. It can make you look like a rookie in the eyes of your customers. Instead, take ownership of the mistake that caused the problem. You will be respected for it. Respect and perception are huge tools when it comes to growing your business.
2. Don’t Overreact
When a res agent makes a serious mistake that creates a crisis, don’t unleash your inner Gordon Ramsay and let them have it. Res agents are human and we all know some are better than others. Losing your cool on them does nothing to advance the solution. A calm discussion about the problem is more effective 100% of the time and, if that doesn’t work, go up the line to a supervisor who is empowered. If you still can’t get resolution, contact David, Blair and we will be more than happy to help. We have many contacts within the industry. With a solution in hand you can go to your client with the resolution and show them your value.
3. Don’t Ignore Processes
Always expect the worst and try to have a plan in place to combat it. If you aren’t on some level prepared for any kind of crisis, you will be ill-equipped to minimize any damage to your business it can cause. Don’t pretend nothing bad will happen. It eventually will. Anticipate what could go wrong and prepare for it. There aren’t many things in business that can’t be taken care of with a well-thought-out system. If you create a proven way to handle all aspects of your business (and stick to it), the amount of headaches that arise will decrease significantly.
4. Don’t Hide
Some crises will be customer-facing, and in those moments you might be scared to tell them or maybe just hope they don’t notice. That’s a bad way to handle a situation. Be 99.9% honest with your clients. If your issue is going to have a negative effect on them, and there is no way to avoid it, let them know. Nobody likes being blind-sided. Inform, but don’t over-explain. Thoroughly explaining the problem can sometimes come across as making excuses. But be sure to let them know all the steps you went through so, even without a happy resolution, the client will know you have access to resources that they don’t, know you are 100% on their side and you will show your value.
5. Don’t Settle For Offering an Apology, Fix the Problem
When things go wrong in a way that can affect your customers, it can be tempting to take the easy route of just preparing to offer an apology instead of looking for a way to fix the problem. Easier isn’t better. Many times an apology after the fact is not enough, Not doing everything in your power to solve the problem before it reaches your client is one of the worst ways to deal with a crisis. By redefining yourself from being a travel agent to a problem solver and relationship builder will create client loyalty and value that is hard to compete with.
6. Don’t Focus on the Mistake, Focus on the Solution
When a mistake happens that leads to a crisis, you may want to immediately find out how and why things went wrong. Resist that temptation. It is important to find out where and how the mistake occurred, but it does not take priority over solving it. Number 1 priority of anyone should be to take care of your customers. That doesn’t mean you have to ignore how the error came about. Just tackle it later. Once you have completed the task at hand, then go to work diagnosing the who’s and how’s and fix it in a professional manner.
