Take the case of a lift supervisor who answered a call from one of her attendants. The lifts were closing and a couple with a youngster, about five, were nose-to-nose in a heated argument with a lift attendant. Why, they demanded, weren’t they allowed to use the lift, since it was still running and, in fact, other skiers could be seen riding up. They had spent the day taking lessons and skiing the beginner’s mountain, they explained. Now, before calling it quits for the day, they wanted to ski the regular mountain. The attendant refused and a pitched battle was in progress.
The supervisor went to the lift and explained that it was too late, it would take these skiers too long to get down and it would soon be dark. They continued to yell at her and the attendant, and they refused to listen or leave. In the end, the supervisor had no choice but to call security.
It’s apparent that by the time the supervisor arrived, it was very late in the game. Neither the attendant nor the skiers were ready to back down, there was no communication, just a determination to win. Somewhere, much earlier, the moment of achieving understanding and a satisfactory alternative, came and went.
In this instance, the lift attendant should have been trained to allow the skier to talk, shout and get mad without responding in kind. Trying to explain something to a person who is near hysteria simply doesn’t work. People do not hear when they are that emotionally involved. They must be allowed to vent, to release the energy that has been building inside.
The attendant needed to know that the way he listens, his body language, is what comes through, if he could be genuinely sympathetic in his stance, eyes and attitude, when the customer is through venting, no matter how long it takes, then, and only then, can he begin to address the situation.
Holding onto a hard line doesn’t win customer-service awards or customers. Offering an alternative is a face-saving device for the customer and could save the day. The attendant could call the supervisor who should have the authority to offer discounted or free lift tickets for another day.
The rationale is easy to see, three people who have spent the day at a ski area renting equipment, taking lessons, and eating, perhaps buying something in the ski shop, are very valuable. This was a young family with a high spending potential. People develop a particular affection for the place they learn to ski, so offering them discounted tickets, even free tickets, is a small investment when measured against the total picture. If company policy prohibits these measures, then it’s time to examine the policies and bring them up to date.
Neither the supervisor nor the attendant had adequate training. Lift operators have constant contact with the skiers and teaching them the mechanics of the lift is only half of their training. The other half must include dealing with people and trying to understand problems from the customer’s point of view. Most important, they need to recognize potential problems long before they explode out of control.
The goal should not be to win, but to retain customers.
