Some Lessons From A CRM Incident

I resolved a disputed charge in my credit card bill over the weekend. Nothing extraordinary except for the fact that it took me all of 1 year, 2 months, 6 days. I didn't look it up but I'm sure it qualifies as a World Record if the Guinness Book ever kept track of such a record.

How does this experience relate to our work or lives? Here are some of my take-aways from the experience. Take them for what they're worth.

1) Sometimes we encounter stumbling blocks or "bottlenecks" and we don't seem to be making any progress. At times like this, it would be appropriate to escalate to the next level. When I wasn't making any progress, I emailed my entire correspondence with the organisation to the business director whose name I lifted from the letter I received inviting me to update the bank with my latest pay slip so that they could potentially increase my credit limit. It took some resourcefulness to figure out his work email address from his name, but he was able to resolve the matter for me within 2 days.

2) Follow-up and close the loop completely. My case had been handled by too many people who were content to pass the buck. As a result, it became forgotten, neglected and lost. If you are moving on in the organisation, ensure a proper hand-over. I had to re-fax my dispute form over to the bank at least twice during the period.

3) Be accountable and deliver on your promises. Otherwise, you lose all credibility for yourself, your team and your organisation. If you say, you would reply within 24 hours, do so!

4) Damage control. People make mistakes, but a customer whose complaint is resolved quickly can potentially be a customer for life. I too look forward to receiving the shopping vouchers in the mail for the year of grief and inconvenience caused.

5) Persistence, tenacity and patience do pay off!