1417: [Part 2] Customer Service Skills: How Would You Handle These Awkward Situations by Steve Chou of MyWifeQuitHerJob

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: This is Optimal Work Daily, Episode 1417, Customer Service Skills.

[00:00:05] [SPEAKER_00]: How Would You Handle These Awkward Situations, Part 2 by Steve Chou of MyWifeQuitHerJob.com.

[00:00:11] [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm your narrator Dan, I'm with you every single day including weekends like today.

[00:00:15] [SPEAKER_00]: And today's post is part two of a little bit longer post so if you haven't checked

[00:00:19] [SPEAKER_00]: out the first half yet I would recommend going back and listening to that first.

[00:00:24] [SPEAKER_00]: That's Episode 1416 from Friday.

[00:00:26] [SPEAKER_00]: But if you're all caught up, let's get right to part two and continue optimizing your life.

[00:00:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Customer Service Skills.

[00:00:37] [SPEAKER_00]: How Would You Handle These Awkward Situations, Part 2 by Steve Chou of MyWifeQuitHerJob.com.

[00:00:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Our response to Dilemma Number 1, Order Not Complete.

[00:00:49] [SPEAKER_00]: We were pretty sure this customer was lying.

[00:00:51] [SPEAKER_00]: After all, there's no way the package could possibly weigh over five pounds unless

[00:00:54] [SPEAKER_00]: we shipped out the correct amount of product.

[00:00:56] [SPEAKER_00]: However, we didn't have any proof and we didn't want to upset this customer in case

[00:01:01] [SPEAKER_00]: she had ties to the event planner community.

[00:01:03] [SPEAKER_00]: So here's what we did.

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_00]: We ended up shipping her an extra dozen napkins free of charge but we marked her

[00:01:08] [SPEAKER_00]: name in our database as questionable.

[00:01:11] [SPEAKER_00]: If she were ever to order from us again, we would take photos of her package prior

[00:01:15] [SPEAKER_00]: to shipment as proof in case she opened up another dispute.

[00:01:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Our response to Dilemma Number 2, Package Lost in the Mail.

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER_00]: We opted to send this customer another package.

[00:01:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Because she ordered well in advance, we didn't want to risk her not receiving her

[00:01:29] [SPEAKER_00]: order in time for her wedding.

[00:01:31] [SPEAKER_00]: While it wasn't our fault her shipment was delayed,

[00:01:33] [SPEAKER_00]: we felt that it was our responsibility to rectify the situation.

[00:01:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Ultimately, we sent her another package with an extra shipping label so

[00:01:40] [SPEAKER_00]: she could send the duplicate order back to us if she ever received it.

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_00]: But in the end, we never received anything back and took the loss.

[00:01:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Our response to Dilemma Number 3,

[00:01:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Package Marked as Delivered but Not Received.

[00:01:54] [SPEAKER_00]: To resolve this dilemma, we went with our gut.

[00:01:56] [SPEAKER_00]: This particular order was for a small dollar amount, less than $50.

[00:02:00] [SPEAKER_00]: And we rationalized that if she was trying to scam us,

[00:02:03] [SPEAKER_00]: she probably would have ordered something more expensive.

[00:02:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Furthermore, she was extremely polite in her emails and

[00:02:09] [SPEAKER_00]: the tone of her writing gave us the impression that she was telling the truth.

[00:02:12] [SPEAKER_00]: The upshot is that we sent her another package and

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_00]: took a loss on this transaction.

[00:02:17] [SPEAKER_00]: But the bottom line was that my wife and

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_00]: I felt that the small loss was worth it to keep the customer happy.

[00:02:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, what if this order was for a much higher dollar amount?

[00:02:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Would this have made the decision more difficult?

[00:02:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely.

[00:02:29] [SPEAKER_00]: But these situations can be prevented by one,

[00:02:32] [SPEAKER_00]: using a more reliable shipping carrier like UPS or FedEx for

[00:02:35] [SPEAKER_00]: orders over $250, and two, paying for signature confirmation.

[00:02:40] [SPEAKER_00]: For larger orders, the extra cost is worth the expense.

[00:02:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Our response to Dilemma number four, accepting personal checks.

[00:02:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Ultimately, we ended up canceling this order because of the risks.

[00:02:52] [SPEAKER_00]: In the back of my mind, this lady seemed trustworthy but

[00:02:56] [SPEAKER_00]: we didn't want to risk the penalty of accepting a bad check.

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER_00]: For the sake of anyone who has never received a bad check before,

[00:03:02] [SPEAKER_00]: the fees involved are pretty egregious and you often have to pay the bounce

[00:03:06] [SPEAKER_00]: check fee for attempting to make the deposit even though you are not at fault.

[00:03:10] [SPEAKER_00]: In any case, this transaction ended up being a tough call due to greed.

[00:03:14] [SPEAKER_00]: But in the end, we decided to stick with our policies.

[00:03:17] [SPEAKER_00]: If it wasn't a rush order, we probably would have taken the check, but

[00:03:20] [SPEAKER_00]: under the circumstances, it wasn't worth it.

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Our response to Dilemma number five, incorrect personalization.

[00:03:28] [SPEAKER_00]: My wife and I didn't see eye to eye on this one.

[00:03:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's the bottom line as I saw it.

[00:03:32] [SPEAKER_00]: The customer clearly screwed up and

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_00]: entered in her initials incorrectly because she wasn't paying attention.

[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_00]: In addition, we've shipped thousands of these monogrammed handkerchiefs in

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER_00]: the last ten years and have had very few complaints.

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_00]: We're not mind readers and

[00:03:45] [SPEAKER_00]: we have to go by what a customer enters in our system.

[00:03:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Furthermore, this order was pretty large and

[00:03:51] [SPEAKER_00]: would result in a decent sized loss if it needed to be redone.

[00:03:54] [SPEAKER_00]: I wanted to charge the customer a small fee to redo all the hankies at

[00:03:58] [SPEAKER_00]: cost but ultimately my wife decided to redo the entire order free of charge.

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Was her decision right or wrong?

[00:04:05] [SPEAKER_00]: In the long run, she probably dealt with this one correctly.

[00:04:08] [SPEAKER_00]: But I was annoyed that the customer was complaining so

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_00]: vehemently when she was clearly in the wrong.

[00:04:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Customer service skills 101, should you trust your customers?

[00:04:19] [SPEAKER_00]: It's a fine line in determining whether or

[00:04:21] [SPEAKER_00]: not your customer is worthy of your trust.

[00:04:23] [SPEAKER_00]: The situations described before are tough calls to make,

[00:04:26] [SPEAKER_00]: especially since your store has a reputation to uphold and money to make.

[00:04:30] [SPEAKER_00]: My general philosophy is that if the customer is placing their trust in

[00:04:33] [SPEAKER_00]: your store to deliver the goods that you have advertised,

[00:04:36] [SPEAKER_00]: then you should return their trust as well.

[00:04:39] [SPEAKER_00]: But sometimes it can be a hard call.

[00:04:45] [SPEAKER_00]: You just listened to part two of the post titled customer service skills.

[00:04:49] [SPEAKER_00]: How would you handle these awkward situations?

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_00]: By Steve Chu of MyWifeQuitHerJob.com.

[00:04:55] [SPEAKER_00]: This show is sponsored by BetterHelp.

[00:04:57] [SPEAKER_00]: We all have non-negotiables.

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you never skip leg day or have to take your morning walks.

[00:05:03] [SPEAKER_00]: But when your schedule is packed with kids activities, big work projects and

[00:05:07] [SPEAKER_00]: more, it's easy to let your priorities slip.

[00:05:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Even when we know what makes us happy, it's hard to make time for it.

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Therapy can help you reclaim control of your time and values.

[00:05:18] [SPEAKER_00]: And make no mistake, therapy is for everyone.

[00:05:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Whether or not you've been through significant trauma,

[00:05:23] [SPEAKER_00]: therapy can be a great tool for setting boundaries,

[00:05:26] [SPEAKER_00]: learning positive coping skills, and

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_00]: ultimately becoming the best version of yourself.

[00:05:30] [SPEAKER_00]: If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try.

[00:05:33] [SPEAKER_00]: It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible, and

[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_00]: suited to your schedule.

[00:05:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist and

[00:05:42] [SPEAKER_00]: switch therapist anytime for no additional charge.

[00:05:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Never skip therapy day.

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_00]: With BetterHelp, visit betterhelp.com slash work daily today to get

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_00]: 10% off your first month.

[00:05:53] [SPEAKER_00]: That's betterhelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash work daily.

[00:05:58] [SPEAKER_00]: And thank you again to Steve.

[00:06:00] [SPEAKER_00]: And one thing I didn't mention yesterday is that he also started his own podcast.

[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_00]: It's called The My Wife Quit Her Job Podcast with Steve Chu.

[00:06:07] [SPEAKER_00]: And it's all about entrepreneurs who quit their jobs to start successful

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_00]: online businesses.

[00:06:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Through a series of personal interviews,

[00:06:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Steve uncovers the exact strategies that led to their success.

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_00]: And again, that is called The My Wife Quit Her Job Podcast with Steve Chu.

[00:06:21] [SPEAKER_00]: And you can of course find it wherever you get your podcasts.

[00:06:25] [SPEAKER_00]: That's it for today.

[00:06:25] [SPEAKER_00]: I appreciate you being here and

[00:06:27] [SPEAKER_00]: I'll see you right back here tomorrow for the Sunday show where your optimal

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_00]: life awaits.