Lesson 1.4
Waiting, Delays & Keeping Customers Informed
Estimated time: 6 minutes
Waiting is sometimes unavoidable.
Being ignored is not.
A customer waiting for service should know:
- they have been noticed
- what is happening
- what they may reasonably expect next
Example
A customer arrives for an appointment.
The employee knows the previous appointment will take another 30 minutes.
Poor
Say nothing and allow the customer to sit for 30 minutes wondering what is happening.
Better
“I’m sorry, we are running approximately 30 minutes behind schedule. I wanted to let you know before you continue waiting. Would you prefer to wait, reschedule or see whether another option is available?”
The customer may still be unhappy.
But now the customer has information.
Managing a Queue
When several customers are waiting:
- acknowledge new arrivals
- explain the order of service where appropriate
- avoid allowing friends or “important people” to jump ahead unfairly
- communicate unusual delays
- do not disappear without explanation
- give realistic estimates rather than guesses
When Delivery Is Delayed
Suppose a customer was promised delivery by 2 PM.
At noon, you already know it cannot arrive before 5 PM.
Do not wait until 2:30 PM and hope the customer does not call.
A better message is:
“Good afternoon. I wanted to update you before your expected delivery time. We have experienced a delay and your order is now expected around 5 PM. I apologize for the inconvenience. Please let me know if this creates a problem for you.”
The business communicated before being chased.
Never Create False Reassurance
Do not say:
“It’s almost there.”
when you do not know where it is.
Do not say:
“The driver is coming.”
when nothing has been dispatched.
Do not say:
“Tomorrow unfailingly.”
when you cannot reasonably guarantee tomorrow.
False reassurance may buy a few minutes.
It spends trust.
Nigeria Standard Note
Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) summarizes the consumer-protection standard as requiring businesses to deliver products or services in a timely manner and, where delay is unavoidable, to notify and update the consumer in a timely manner.
More Workplace Examples
Restaurant order delay
A table has been waiting forty minutes for their food, and the employee has not yet checked the order’s status with the kitchen.
Avoiding the table makes the wait feel longer.
A better response:
BETTER RESPONSE
School parent waiting for an answer
A parent asks the front desk about a fee receipt that was never issued.
The answer needs the accounts office, so the parent is told, “We will get back to you.”
A week passes with no update.
A better response:
BETTER RESPONSE
Salon appointment running late
A stylist is still attending to a client, and the next client’s appointment time has passed.
Pretending nothing is wrong leaves the waiting client frustrated.
A better response:
BETTER RESPONSE
Remember
Bad news communicated honestly is often easier to recover from than false reassurance.
Workplace action
Identify one common delay in your workplace.
Ask:
- When do staff usually know the delay is happening?
- Who should notify the customer?
- What information should be provided?
- Who should follow up?