Company regulations will not avoid email disasters

MEDIA RELEASE FOR WHEN YOU NEED A FILLER…

23 July 2007

Company regulations/security will not avoid email disasters because emotion can’t be controlled

Email disasters and how to avoid staff members sending rude or inappropriate emails to third parties

Click… That’s all it takes; one click on the ‘send’ button and a company’s reputation or good standing with its customers could be ruined, with references and reports lingering in cyberspace for years.

The business environment of today is littered with business disasters because a staff member had a sudden rush of blood to the head and responded angrily to a customer, or they’ve sent an inappropriate email to a friend or partner, making disparaging remarks about customers – and this ‘private’ email suddenly turns up in 300 inboxes.

Managing Director of KiwiHost New Zealand, Simon Nikoloff, says company attempts so far to increase email security and screening, or implement rigid rules and procedures to protect the company – with the threat of dire consequences if they’re contravened – are bound to fail.

“They haven’t worked so far, and email policies, procedures and email screening systems have been around for awhile. In a society context, legislation is usually a blunt instrument. Governments know that you have to address the underlying causes, and it’s no different within the business community.

“Firing people, strict workplaces regulations and disciplinary action do not stop these problems.”

Mr Nikoloff says it has taken a while for email to gain traction as a business tool, but now that it has, the etiquette over the proper use of email is still developing, in the same way society and business had to develop mobile phone manners.

“When it comes to inappropriate and rude emails to customers and other stakeholders, it becomes a customer service issue and in the end customer service is an individual responsibility – you can’t regulate it. The employee has to choose the appropriate response, so give them some choices.”

He says that emotion appears to be the main culprit when it comes to ‘pushing the send button on rude email messages’, particularly when the customer may have been rude themselves or when they have consumed the employee’s time and energy and then come back with a ‘no thank you’.

“Anger, frustration and irritation are normal and understandable human reactions and they’re impossible to control. As in any customer service context, the service will be much more effective if management equips their employees with tools and choices that help them deal better with the emotion and the circumstances, and then communicate better.”

Mr Nikoloff says that it’s only human for most employees to struggle when they’re thrust into a face-to-face confrontation, and the personal nature of email makes it no different

“It’s so easy to dash off that smart comment. The beauty of email is that you can actually step away, and having a ready process and the right tools makes this easier.”

KiwiHost New Zealand trains people to apply the ‘Four Fs Formula:

1. Feelings
2. Facts
3. Fix-it
4. Follow-up

“The first step in the process is to delay your response to the email. Read it and go away from it for awhile. Think about. Put yourself in the other’s person’s place for a moment, and attempt to understand why they feel the way they do. The most important part is to delay your response.”

Mr Nikoloff says the next action is for the staff member to ask one of their colleagues, manager or supervisor to look at the email and to give their opinion on the best way to handle it.

“I would recommend validating what the client is asking – get the facts right. Write back to them with a response along the lines of ‘if I understand your email correctly, you’re concerned that this and this happened?’ Ask them to clarify anything that is unclear.”

He recommends that the company develops a form email which helps the staff member ask for clarity in a polite, professional manner.

Once the staff member has thought about how the customer must be feeling and they have clarified the facts, they’re in a position to offer a solution – to fix the problem.

“The most important step, however, is the follow-up. It will repair all the damage and strengthen the relationship. How many times have we, as customers, had something go wrong? And how often has the provider called you a suitable time afterwards to follow-up?

“Usually we cannot believe it has happened – you almost fall off your seat; but afterwards you feel really good about it. With email, this is a simple step and all it usually requires is a form letter.

“It’s time that we, as business owners, stopped thinking of people as the weakest link and instead as our strongest asset, because that’s what it’s all about – people talking to people,” says Mr Nikoloff.

ENDS

For more information: www.kiwihost.co.nz

About KiwiHost

Established in 1989, KiwiHost is New Zealand’s most experienced and best resourced customer service training organisation with expert facilitators located in 18 offices countrywide. KiwiHost facilitators deliver more than 20 specialised ‘great customer experience’ programmes, regular scheduled workshops (including in-house on demand), to a wide variety of organisations and industries. Industries currently served by KiwiHost include the health sector, professional practises, retail, government departments, local authorities, tourism, couriers and freight, not-for-profit organisations and trades and services.

© Scoop Media