{"id":51714,"date":"2023-07-12T06:00:25","date_gmt":"2023-07-12T06:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/?p=51714"},"modified":"2023-09-20T07:19:07","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T07:19:07","slug":"its-out-of-my-control-is-bad-excuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/customer-service-strategies\/its-out-of-my-control-is-bad-excuse\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It\u2019s Out of My Control\u2019 Is a Bad Excuse"},"content":{"rendered":"\"\u2018It\u2019sLast month I was in Las Vegas for a major convention. I stayed at a very nice hotel, and each night I <\/span>tried <\/span><\/i>to fall and stay asleep. I emphasize the word <\/span>tried<\/span><\/i> because, unfortunately, there was non-stop, 24-hour-a-day road construction outside the hotel, as the city of Las Vegas is preparing for the Formula One race later this year. All night, there was jackhammering and bulldozing on the streets where the cars will be racing.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nUpon checkout, I was asked, \u201cHow was your stay?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nI responded, \u201cI love this hotel. It\u2019s too bad about all that noise from the road construction.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe front desk employee practically cut me off and curtly stated, <\/span>\u201cIt\u2019s out of our control.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nOf course, I knew it wasn\u2019t the hotel\u2019s fault. I didn\u2019t blame them, but she was quick to point that out anyway. I can only imagine how many similar complaints she has heard from numerous guests over the past few weeks and will hear from many more until the project is over. She obviously has become annoyed by hearing the same complaint again and again, and somehow lost empathy or sympathy for her guests.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nSo how do you communicate<\/a> something like this, that\u2019s \u201cout of your control?\u201d <\/span>\r\n

Here are a few ideas using the hotel as an example:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. Respond With Empathy \u2013<\/span><\/i><\/b> First, respond to any and every comment about it with sympathy and empathy. Act like you care. You could say something like, \u201cI understand how you feel about the noise. I wish we could do something about it, but the city of Las Vegas is preparing for the big race later this year. I\u2019m sorry this happened.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Apologize \u2013<\/span><\/i><\/b> It may not have been your fault, but that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t say, \u201cI\u2019m sorry this happened,\u201d which is how I ended the empathy statement above.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Be Proactive \u2013<\/span><\/i><\/b> If enough guests are complaining about something that is completely out of your control and you know the problem is going to continue, proactively inform them when they check in. You can even put a note in the room to warn them about the problem that really is out of your control.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Come Up With a Solution \u2013<\/span><\/i><\/b> This may or may not be possible. In this example, the hotel could offer free earplugs. While it\u2019s not their fault and really is out of their control, they could show a sign of effort to manage the problem, even if it isn\u2019t the perfect solution.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nA problem may be out of your control. That\u2019s okay. What\u2019s not okay is to use \u201cIt\u2019s out of my control\u201d as an excuse. Instead, see it as an opportunity to show empathy and care for your customers. It\u2019s the words you use and the way you say them that counts.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n