According to Grace Murray Hopper, The most damaging phrase in the language is: ‘It’s always been done that way.’

We often hear people say that it’s the company policy.  They cannot do anything about it. Ms. Hopper above says it well.

An article on livemint.com says that:

The rulebook should not become an excuse for poor customer service or an obstacle to great service. Almost everyone has at some point experienced a situation where a customer service representative has blamed the rules for his inability to help.

As I’ve kept telling my teammates, too, the policies are there to guide us. But they are not carved in stone. A few accommodations here and there won’t hurt for as long as it’s for the good of the majority and for the company.  Having said this, I agree with the article when it says that:

One customer service mantra that I have always loved is: first to know, first to handle. In other words, when a problem arises, there is a fleeting opportunity to solve it on the spot.

This can only be done when we have empowered our people to make decisions and make them stand by the decisions they make.

I once asked my husband, how he empowered his team. His reply: “Train them!” And for the record his team members have gone on to become heads of offices themselves. To this, a leadership mantra rang in my mind: leadership is producing more leaders.

Now, going back to customer service representatives (all employees are, actually), these people can be trained to make good decisions on the spot. This way, you don’t lose customers but gain more customers.

Train your people because the keyword for customer service is customer service.

Read: The First Rule of Customer Service