Your portable restroom clients depend on you regardless of what’s going on in the world. So, when an emergency disrupts business as usual, your demeanor and response matter. During a disaster, you may receive a barrage of phone calls from customers while others go silent and leave you with unpaid invoices. Managing customers during emergencies and disasters requires you to take charge yet show compassion.
Emergencies cause a high level of stress for those involved. Understanding how the psychological element impacts both customers and staff can help you provide excellent customer service. Before a crisis occurs, talk to your team about handling distressed customers and give a few guidelines as well. For example,
Throughout the crisis, it’s essential to keep the lines of communication between team members open. Stay aware of staff issues that may affect their performance or ability to handle customer service calls. Having a strategy for responding during emergencies can help you and your team demonstrate the confidence that your clients need.
Disruption due to a disaster can lead to disarray with local organizations. Typical decision-makers may be unavailable to sign-off on agreements or approve payments. While this problem is often temporary, it’s up to you to weigh in on the facts and make an informed decision about how the process works.
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There’s a good chance that you’re already involved in your community. That’s why, when it comes to business, it can be tough to enforce policies when emotions are involved. However, both you and your portable restroom employees need payment during disasters.
During a crisis, organizations may go into debt with several vendors. Some companies may be waiting for communication from decision-makers. Other businesses may want to wait for insurance or disaster aid to come through. Use your best business sense to determine leniency when giving payments.
Each interaction during an emergency is fraught with emotions. By setting up your team with the confidence to step into a leadership role, you’ll handle customers while maximizing opportunities. Plus, a calm response demonstrates your ability to serve not only your customers but also your community.
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