By: Jeff Toister (submitted by Carmen Gass)

It’s a busy day and your next customer has been waiting for awhile. What should you say to acknowledge the delay?
* “I’m sorry for the wait.”
* “Thank you for waiting.”
* Nothing.

The surprising choice is “Thank you for waiting.”

** Thank customers for minor service failures**
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Small issues, such as a delay, can damage a customer’s
self-esteem.

They make people feel disrespected or less valued. The key to service recovery in these situations is to restore a customer’s self-esteem and make them feel better again.

“I’m sorry” can be effective, but thanking the customer can work even better!

Here are some examples:
* Restaurant: “Thank you for your patience while we prepare your table.”
* Retail: “Thank you for waiting while I helped that customer.”
* Coffee shop: “Thank you for letting me know we’re out of creamer.”

I often use this technique when Customer Service Tip of the Week subscribers point out a typo or another small error in these weekly newsletters.

“Thanks for spotting that typo,” I’ll write. “I appreciate you letting me know about it so I can fix it!”

There is one caveat. Saying “thank you” only works well for minor service failures. Big issues still deserve an apology.