Yesterday, during a conversation with an accountant and a marketer, a question came up about the value of soft skills in a hard technology company. These skills could include brand management, internal communications, identifying and nurturing talent, customer service skills, tone of voice or social media management. Because I recently had a frustrating time talking with customer service reps (at British Gas and a local restaurant chain) I want consider the value that could be gained through using soft skills with customers and customer service.

Since the first research into customer care in the 1970’s, billions of dollars have poured into the industry and companies now all claim to put customers at the heart of their organisations. Research at the time showed that the simple act of complaining made consumers feel better about the products and built brand loyalty, regardless of how or if an issue was resolved. This knowledge built an industry based around CRM. Understandably, since then volumes of complaints have increased and our expectations have changed. About half of us made a formal complaint to a company last year, which is more than 18% higher than in the 1970’s. But now unresolved issues damage brands quickly and directly impact on companies profitability.

After all this investment and energy, why are we so dissatisfied with todays service standards? I propose it’s due to our higher expectations and a mismatch between the results that the complainer and the company seek.

Why did I complain to British Gas and what did I want? My thermostat broke and was just out of warranty but covered by insurance. I wanted someone to fix the issue without questioning or apportioning blame. I wanted the fault fixed.
What happened? They questioned my competence in understanding the issue, they pointed out that it was not their problem, they pushed me through to another department who referred me on again and 90 minutes later I was put back in touch with the first department I spoke to.
Emotional response - No empathy, no dignity, no ownership of the issue, no apology, no validation that my concerns were justified, no resolution of the problem, my time was wasted.

How has their brand value been affected? I have cancelled my home care insurance and have source a local plumber – something I should have done years ago.

Why did I complain to a local restaurant chain and what did I want? A take away meal gave my wife food poisoning. I wanted them to know and to prevent anyone else from suffering the same illness. The last thing I wanted was more food from them.
What happened? They apologised, they looked into which other customers had ordered the same meal and contacted them, they reviewed their supply chain and reported back, they invited us to tour their kitchens and meet the chef.
Emotional response - They empathised, the apology had compassion and contrition, they took action with the CEO taking ownership to find out more about the problem and report back, not wasting my time.

How has their brand value been affected? Whilst I’m not ready to order from them again soon, they are a company I would recommend and I’m comfortable that everything has been done to prevent a repeat occurence.

Conclusions - what soft skills add value in customer service?

Apologise – with compassion and/or contrition
Know that your response will be shared – people share all news on social media, but good news for your brand has more online salience than bad.
Respect your customers time – and promise to report back.
Own the issue – and empower the front line to resolve, train the front line support desk to work within liberal guidelines and give them discretion.
Treat all customers with your best service level (social media platforms won’t discriminate between gold, silver or bronze).
Allow customers to share good news – it will be heard louder than bad news.

Important note to reader – I’ve not mentioned credit notes, refunds or free samples. Value here is created using soft skills like empathy, compassion, engagement, dignity and ownership.