Most companies do not fully think like a client. When you are unable to serve a client, then what are their options?
Being prepared with suggestions - not "answers" - is a great way to build strong client relationships.
Here are a few ideas to discuss with your team:
1. Identify the three most common situations that occur when your company is unable to serve loyal clients.
2. In each of those situations, what is the impact on the clientwhen you cannot meet their needs?
3. Based on their needs, what are three options you can suggest they consider to meet those needs because you cannot help them?
4. How can you make it easy for them to explore those options by providing contact information, driving directions, website addresses...?
5. How can you pilot a program for 90 days to test offering these alternatives when your people are in one of these three situations where they cannot meet a client's needs?
6. How will you train your people, allow them to provide daily feedback on the pilot, hold them accountable to offering the alternatives, and recognizing them when they serve clients in ways that provide a superior client experience?
7. What metrics will you track to determine the success of this effort?