A small retailer had been working with a customer who had an issue with a product. The employee working with him had done a great job moving the process forward to get the complaint resolved. 

But after a few weeks, she stopped returning his calls. And when the customer called in to the business, he was always told she was with another customer.

Customer issues can be draining and they can feel never ending, but they only reach an end when the customer is satisfied with the result. They may not be happy, but they can be satisfied with the result. For example, you may not be able to turn the clock back and prevent a product malfunction, but you can offer a refund. 

To suddenly cut off communication with a customer says one of two things – that either your front line employees are terrible with customers or that management doesn’t support the front line employees to do the right thing. Usually, it’s the second one.

When front line employees are empowered to assist customers with their issues, they generally will. Most people working these jobs actually do like people. It is only when management doesn’t support the customer and the employee, that things fall apart.

Front line employees can only do so much; they only have so much power. They alone cannot guarantee customer retention. Management needs to put policies in place that empower these employees to do the right thing for the customers. Only management has that power.