A customer calls a hardware supplier because the wrong fittings were delivered to a job site. The employee listens, apologises and says, “I’ll pass this on to dispatch.” The call ends pleasantly. The crew is still waiting, and the customer has no idea when the right fittings will arrive.
Courtesy matters because it helps the customer feel heard. Ownership means making sure someone can act on the problem, keeping the customer informed and checking that the fix actually worked.
What ownership looks like
In this example, the employee checks the order and delivery note, then confirms who in dispatch will arrange the replacement. They record the agreed next step and tell the customer when to expect an update. If dispatch cannot meet the original delivery window, the employee explains the available options and agrees on a revised plan with the customer. The case closes once the correct fittings arrive and the delivery is confirmed.
The employee can own the customer’s experience even when another team performs the fix. Give staff a clear route to escalate issues, access to the information they need and authority to agree on routine remedies. That makes it easier to solve problems before the customer has to call again.
How to tell whether issues are being resolved
· Time to resolution. Track the time from the first report to a confirmed fix. Compare it by issue type to see where cases stall.
· Open cases without an owner. Count unresolved cases with nobody assigned to the next action. Review these at handover.
· Missed customer updates. Track the share of promised updates that were sent late or missed. Use the case notes to see where follow-up broke down.
· Reopened cases. Track the share of closed cases that reopen for the same issue. Review them to see whether the original fix held.
Review these indicators alongside customer feedback. If customers praise the team’s manner but keep calling about the same problem, check where cases lose an owner, where updates are missed and what the team treats as a confirmed fix.
M&J Africa can help you map how complaints move through your business, clarify who owns each step and define what a resolved case looks like. Get in touch to discuss your customer service process and enquire for a tailored quote.
