Best Practices: Don't let problems fester

Anyone who has been in this business knows that although we all strive to do high-quality work, strive to have a well-trained workforce and strive for high customer service ideals, eventually we all will have a quality or performance issue.

Our ability to deal with performance and quality issues varies. I believe there are some important best practices to keep in mind when dealing with problems.

1. Tackle the problem immediately. This is an essential step for me. If possible, correct the problem before the customer becomes aware of it. If that's impossible, call it to his attention before he calls it to yours. If I do have to go to the customer with the problem, I go with my solution and timetable for correcting the problem.

2. Throw as much of your available resources at the problem as possible. I won't say don't worry about cost, but I will say don't shortchange the process. The longer the problem exists in the customer's mind, the more annoyed he gets. As his annoyance level increases, he may uncover more problems or even end up canceling your contract.

The longer problems drag out, the greater the long-term cost to your relationship. It may be well worth the overtime to get it done quickly. Some isolated problems even can turn into a "positive moment of truth" with your customer where you actually strengthen your relationship.

3. Spend time on a lessons learned review. Why did the problem occur in the first place? What must be done to prevent the problem in the future? Who should learn from the problem?

In summary, it is important to not fall victim to your short-term profit motives. Sure, no one likes to see profits go out the window to solve problems, but you must take responsibility for them. Taking a short-sighted, profit-driven solution may cost much more in the long run and may even result in a lost customer.