[The below is based on my personal experience and is not a confirmed script. It is based on memory so there may be some deviation from actual.]
If you have a complaint regarding a rental with Booking.com, the agent responds using a clearly defined script structure.
The first thing they do is listen to your complaint. As the emotions of the injustice you have experienced flood out, the agent is taking notes, writing down word-for-word key phrases and words that you say.
The second thing they do is apologise for the inconvenience that you have experienced, state that this is not the experience the Booking.com strives to deliver, and that they will do all they can to resolve it. For good measure they usually use the word “apologise” or “sorry” at least twice if not three times to make sure it’s well anchored.
The final step which in my experience does not always happen, is that they may try to put themselves in your shoes and say something like “I understand how you feel, I would be the same in your position”.
As a structure it’s good. If I was asked to write a customer complaint script, I would recommend something similar.
The first step is critical: Listening. I assume that a Booking.com agent deals with hundreds of complaints every month. When you hear essentially the same thing every day, it’s easy to jump to conclusions and assume you know the answer. This however would be a dangerous precedent as each complaint will have its nuances and only by addressing those will the caller feel heard.
When dealing with an aggrieved party, whether in a customer service capacity, as a team leader or as a parent, the golden rule is to make them feel as if you have listened to them before you speak. Only then are they likely to listen to you and give your words the weight they deserve. If you can also incorporate the words, phrases and concepts mentioned by the aggrieved party (as Booking.com agents do very well), the impact of your message will be greater because you are hearing the problem back in your own words.
When we apologise (step 2), we don’t need to apologise personally. There is a subtle difference between “I’m sorry I caused this” and “I’m sorry things have worked out this way”. The latter type of apology I call a “third party apology” – you us apologetic language but leave the ownership with a third party. Surprisingly, this type of apology is often as effective as a personal apology because the receiver hears the apologetic language more than the referential index. So, depending on the degree of ownership you want to take for the apology, you have some flexibility here.
There is one large flaw with Booking.com’s complaint process however, and this is one of the key messages I want to extract from today’s blog. Despite the great script, there is then no action.
In my experience there is usually no call back, return email or resolution and the agent disappears into the safety of their army of customer service operators, nigh on impossible to track down again. This results in you (the client) having to make multiple calls, often starting from the beginning with a new agent which is extremely frustrating. Each time you hear the same script structure, and eventually the promises become empty and the commitment to deal with the situation insincere.
Having a script is a great thing however, you need to follow through on what you say. Your clients will soon work out that it’s all manufactured and designed to delay in the hope that you give up which is what most people do!
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