What We Can Learn About Leadership From Comcasts Nightmare Customer Service Call Marla Gottschalk

What We Can Learn About Leadership From Comcasts Nightmare Customer Service Call Marla Gottschalk Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash Wow. Dont get me started. My son has just spent the last 4 weeks trying to force Comcast to keep their promises to him. As a recent college grad, money really matters â€" and they really couldnt care less. Getting his business was the only goal. Keeping him as a customer going forward â€" well that seems to be a message entirely lost on them. If he had another viable choice for high-speed internet (hes a gamer), he we would take it. Immediately. He cannot stand them. To tell you the truth I thought my familys collective experiences with Comcast were simply random. (We recently discovered that we were being charged for a years worth of a router we did not have on premise.) However, after doing a bit of digging, Im now convinced there may be serious problems lurking there. This week, Comcasts darker side was fully exposed in a viral call center exchange that really is more than unbelievable â€" its ominous. Comcast, is now one of the two most hated companies in the country. As a leader, I would be very, very concerned. We can learn from their uproarious blunder. In particular, quite a lot about leadership. Here we go: Dont close your doors. Ultimately, this rarely occurs within an organization where positive leadership has a strong, visible presence. This isnt one incident, there is a pattern here. Yes, you may be an industry monolith. But that doesnt absolve you of the responsibility to be front and center â€" driving home key messages that will sustain your business long-term. Dont lock yourselves in an office â€" light years away from your customers. Talk is cheap, but your actions really speak. I dont think the mission of Comcast is Irritate Customers Beyond Belief. However, the behavior of the company is certainly communicating that message to us. Communicate the mission/vision within your organization completely. If not well understood, everyone will have their own ideas. Leaving something so critical to chance is very, very unwise. Listen, listen, listen. Then listen again. Do you recall when customers would be required to wait all day to have someone hook up their service? Comcast adjusted this policy (and even offered $20 if they didnt hold up their end of the bargain). Talk to your customers often. Are service plans confusing? Is your pricing structure likened to hieroglyphics? Do you fail to reward long-term customers for their patronage? Be aware. Your people are a reflection of your brand. How did that call center representative come to believe that he should never, ever allow a customer leave of their own free will? Im sorry, your employees often reflect leaderships take on customers. He thought that was OK. It wasnt. Your company is at risk. When leadership fails to communicate the very core of a service organizations creed (which would include exhibiting basic respect toward customers), it shows something vital. That, at the end of the day, you may not really care. That undoubtedly spells trouble for your business when viable competition shows upand of course, it undoubtedly will. What advice can you offer Comcast? Sound off here. Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist, speaker and coach You can also find her on Twitter and Linkedin.