Lesson 1: Seven Steps to Customer Problem Solving
CollegED July 28, 2025
Seven Steps to Customer Problem Solving
What’s the toughest customer service problem you face at work? Do you get the same problems over and over, or do they tend to be unexpected? Getting to the root of problems is important in resolving them.
In this lesson, you’ll make the transition from solving problems in general, to solving them for your customers.
The Process
Earlier, we looked at a process to help us solve problems in general. Now, let’s look a specific process that we can use to resolve a customer’s problem.
- Express respect
- Listen to understand
- Uncover their expectations
- Repeat the specifics of their problem
- Look for possible solutions
- Take action and follow through
- Double check for satisfaction
The Recovery Process
Once a customer problem is identified, the service recovery process should begin. Not all of the six steps described below are needed for all customers. Use what you know about your products and services, and what you can discover about your customers’ problems, to customize your actions to the specific situation. One size doesn’t fit all.
You should always take immediate steps to solve problems. The sense of urgency you bring to the problem solving tells your customers that recovery is important to you and to your organization.
Apologize.
It doesn’t matter who is at fault. Customers want someone who will acknowledge that a problem occurred and show concern.
Listen and empathize.
Treat your customers in a way that shows you care about them as well as about their problem. People have feelings and emotions. They want the personal side of the transaction acknowledged.
Fix the problem quickly and fairly.
A “fair fix” is one that’s delivered with a sense of professional concern. At the end of the day, customers want what they expected to receive in the first place. The sooner, the better.
Offer atonement.
It’s not uncommon for dissatisfied customers to feel injured or put out by a service breakdown. Often they will look to you to provide some value-added gesture that says, in a manner appropriate to the problem, “I want to make it up to you.”
Keep your promises.
Service recovery is needed because a customer believes a service promise has been broken. During the recovery process, you will often make new promises. When you do, be realistic about what you can and can’t deliver.
Follow up.
You can add a pleasant extra to the recovery sequence by following up a few hours, days, or weeks later to make sure things really were resolved to your customer’s satisfaction. Don’t assume you’ve fixed the problem. Check to be sure.
