“See the Sign?”: Training Your Team to Find Sensible Solutions

Here’s the scene: I am pounding on the keys of my MacBook Air while sitting in the United Club at Dulles Airport and I am hangry (hungry + angry = hangry).

Here’s why I’m hangry: I did not plan on sitting here in the United Club today.

I planned on flying to Orlando on United #778 for a presentation this evening. But, thanks to a major mechanical malfunction, I won’t fly on that airplane and I won’t arrive in time to give my presentation.

I know, it happens. I’m not angry at the mishap (ok, irritated but not angry). No, my wrath centers on the way United handled the mishap.

After announcing the last-minute cancellation, the gate attendant directed everyone to a nearby United customer service counter for rebooking. I, however, decided to go to the United Club (of which I am a paying member) to get expedited help at their (presumably better) customer service counter.

On my way to the United Club, I grabbed a $15 salad for lunch since I would no longer partake in my highly anticipated, Michelin star quality in-flight meal.

So, I enter the United Club through the sliding glass doors, walk up to the “hostess” and place both my computer bag and my just-purchased-grab-and-go mixed-green salad on the “Welcome Desk”. At this point, I explained that I desperately needed help rebooking my cancelled flight to Orlando.

One might expect a response such as, “Well, let’s see what we can do for you…” or something along those lines. Nope. She expressed ZERO concern for my situation but did, in fact, quickly fix her gaze onto my salad.

[cue music from the shower scene in Psycho]

“Ma’am, you’re going to have to throw away that salad before going into the Club. No food allowed. See the sign?”

I took a slow, deep breath…quickly counted to 10…and replied: “I’m NOT throwing away my salad. I’m not. I promise not to eat it in the United Club, but I am NOT throwing away my salad just so I can rebook MY flight that YOUR airline just cancelled!”

And…she rolls her eyes at me.

Let’s stop here.  Most people would call this a customer service issue. But this strikes me as more of a training issue.  Here’s why…

This woman clearly received training on the “no outside food” policy – no exceptions! However, that training did not equip her to offer sensitive and sensible solutions in a touchy situation.

I can think of three successful solutions that our eye-rolling United Club hostess might have offered me:

1)   “No problem! Just leave your salad right here and I’ll keep an eye on it for you.”

2)   “I’m sorry about the inconvenience and, I hate to even mention it, but do you mind not eating your salad inside the club?”

3)   “How about you take a seat and enjoy that salad and I’ll go get your flight rebooked for you?”

I presume she didn’t offer any of these solutions because she wasn’t trained to LOOK for these solutions. She was only trained that nobody – and I mean NOBODY – brings a salad into the United Club.

So here’s the question: what type of training do your employees receive?

Is their training “salad sensitive”? Or does it lean towards, “See the sign?”

Have you trained and equipped your team to provide sensitive and sensible solutions?

And, do you trust your employees to make these types of decisions? (If not, that’s another issue entirely.)

Ultimately, you don’t need to break the rules, or even bend them, to provide good service. Just train team members to find creative and sensible solutions.


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About the Author: Amy O'Connor

As one of the most in-demand sales training consultants in North America today, Amy O’Connor brings a decade’s worth of industry experience and knowledge, along with a fresh female perspective on leadership, to her impactful and enlightening seminars.