This article answers the question: Why should you avoid making excuses in customer service?
Answer: When employees focus on solutions rather than excuses, customers feel supported and respected, turning negative service moments (complaints) into opportunities to build loyalty.
Imagine calling a company for customer support for a complaint or a problem, and the customer support agent takes care of it with a positive attitude and no excuses. That’s what we hope for. That’s what turns a Moment of Misery™ (complaint) into a Moment of Magic.
The Oxford Languages’ definition of the word excuse as a noun is “a reason or explanation put forward to defend or justify a fault or offense.”
Vocabulary.com defines an excuse as “an explanation for something that went wrong. When we give an excuse, we’re trying to get someone to cut us some slack.”
I don’t mind an explanation as to why a problem happened, but it shouldn’t be an excuse. If you choose to give an explanation about why a customer is complaining, follow up with these nine words: “Here’s what we are going to do about it.” That ensures it will be seen as an explanation and not an excuse to hide behind.
My friend and business author Sam Silverstein is the expert in the “no excuses” mentality. It really comes down to one word: accountability. We sat down for an interview on Amazing Business Radio to discuss his new book, No Excuses for a Day, and how accountability and a “no excuses” mindset apply to customer service.
Sam says, “Every excuse a company makes chips away at credibility.” That’s the silent killer of company trust. Excuses are the opposite of taking responsibility. However, when you stop making excuses, you start finding solutions. That’s what customers want.
Taking responsibility is the answer. The problem may not be your fault, but it presents an opportunity to make it right for the customer. And you get to be the hero. Sam says, “As long as you get to say, ‘here’s what I’m going to do about it,’ then the customer knows you’re not trying to shirk your ownership of the situation. You’re here to help them, and that’s what you want them to feel.”
The title of Sam’s book is No Excuses for a Day, and that’s the challenge. Can you go for one day without making an excuse? Here’s what Sam suggests:
Knowing that an explanation can be interpreted as an excuse, simply follow it up by saying, “And here’s what I’m going to do about it.”
After the first day, try a second day. Then a third. Make it a habit. When excuses disappear and solutions take their place, you create the experience that makes customers say, “I’ll be back!”
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
