STOP POINTING FINGERS!!!
Many people know me as a leader passionate about customer service. And one thing I have always preached to my teams over the years was to own the problem instead of pointing fingers. The reason is:
Doesn't matter who you are and what you do for the company, as long as you are facing customers, you must solve their problem. YOU OWN THE PROBLEM
A typical example of an environment that this culture thrived constantly was when I was at Discount Car and Truck Rentals. Yes, we would drop the ball and screw up sometimes. But doesn't matter who would answer that call from the customer, we were all enabled and empowered by the company to solve their problem. I do not recall a single example where a staff member would be allowed to say "That's not my fault. You will have to call X,Y or Z". And that's how a company grows.
My recent frustration happened when I had to urgently fly to California to visit my dad who is ill. It was not a pleasant trip. I flew out of Toronto on Sunday evening and I had to report back to work Friday morning, so I booked my return ticket for Thursday. Flying out of LAX to Philadelphia to catch another flight home same night. It turned out the flight is delayed so I and a group of passengers waited until 10:00 pm when suddenly the screens announced the flight is cancelled. So a crowd stormed the customer service counter with two "customer service" representatives who looked like they hated everything to do with service. No eye contact and no explanation. No apology or sympathy. Everyone had to wait in line until we got our waitlist boarding passes for Friday flights. And over 200 people were scattered across the airport waiting area seats and the floor with no access to their luggage.
Long story short, I got back to work at 4:00 pm on Friday, miserable, tired, without my luggage and sorry for being late. But the real frustration was how everyone I spoke to or met working for that airline and dealing with our cancelled flight was pointing finger at another department. No one was willing to go the extra mile to solve a problem. No one cared about the company's image and customer experience. And that freaked people out even more. None of the travellers had any faith in that airline taking them home. And everyone I chatted with, said they will never fly with them again.
Imagine, how many people would talk others out of flying with that airline. How much business is lost. How would the staff retention be if they hate what they do.
If I can have one advise for all leaders is to empower your staff to solve your customers' problems. Train your team to solve problems not sell products. The growth will follow when your customers have faith in you or be prepared to fail.