As a customer, I don't think there's anything more frustrating than a customer service rep or salesperson with no decision-making capability. The last thing a customer with a problem wants to hear is that they're going to have to wait for someone else (who can actually make a decision) to get back to them. What makes it even more frustrating is:

• Most customers believe that no one will ever call them back. Past experience tells us that; and that they will have to waste even more time following up on this.
• Instead of having to wait for a call that may never come, when the customer asks for a name of someone to call, they're often told: "Sorry, we can't give out that information."

I don't know about you, but I have pretty much cut out dealing with companies whose executives tell us, by their actions, that they have no desire to "get their hands dirty," and actually talk to a customer. I'm convinced that many companies set up elaborate customer service departments in order to make these poor reps a buffer between corporate HQ and the customers.

One of the major reasons the people who are closest to the customers don't get to make decisions is: their managers or employers are afraid they'll make too many mistakes and give customers more than they're entitled to.

My answer is: Sure they're going to make mistakes; doesn't everybody. (And, by the way, it's really hard to give a customer, especially a good one, too much.) How else do we learn but by doing, and making mistakes? It's up to the manager, leader or owner of the company to help these people correct their mistakes and learn from the experience.

Pushing decision making responsibility as far down as possible, insures quicker decisions; faster resolutions to customer problems and complaints; more motivated workers, since added responsibility has been found to be one of the primary causes of people "loving their jobs;" and naturally happy customers who will most certainly come back and do even more business in the future.

What do you think is harder to find: companies who encourage their people to make decisions and resolve customer problems or companies who don't? Obviously, from experience, we know the answer is: those who do are much harder to find. If that's the case, why be one of the companies "who don't," because by being a company "who does," you'll be in the minority; you'll stand out; and, easily differentiate yourself from the competition. This gives you a tremendous opportunity to increase your business.