Have you ever broken company rules to make a customer happy?

Question

Ryan Brown · Accepted Answer

"I have been trained to know that rules and policy are there for a reason. If I were not sure what to do or were asked to break or bend a rule, I would refer to my employee manual or ask a manager to assist."

Ryan Brown · Answer

Breaking the rules, and bending them, CAN be different from each other. Often, organizations are okay with you bending the rules to keep a customer happy. You need to know your audience, though! If the company is very stringent when it comes to their policies and procedures, then approach this question with caution. If the organization is well known for being flexible, then you can indeed be more free with your answer.

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"My current company is pretty strict with their policies, so I do not bend to make a customer happy, but I will escalate the issue to someone who has the seniority to decide that. I agree with your organization that it's important to offer some flex on policy, within reason of course."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"Policy and rules are not strictly enforced in my current company. It isn't for lack of caring but the opposite. Our CEO knows that if we needed to bend a rule, it was for a good reason. With that said, I am comfortable following your policies because they are more than reasonable."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"Marketing is all about ebb and flow, swaying, and flexing. I cannot work in an environment where consideration is not present in the changing or bending of a particular rule. So long as nobody gets hurt or the company isn't suffering, it's important to be flexible to meet the needs of a customer."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"In the store where I currently work there is no flexibility in the rules. If a customer is unhappy with the return policy, for instance, they have to go directly to corporate. There is nothing we are allowed to do at store level. Now, having zero regards for rules can be detrimental as well. I know that your company offers a great happy medium between the two which I certainly respect."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"I have been known to bend a rule or two, with the permission of my superiors of course. I believe it's important to cater to a client in every way possible, so long as it is not harmful to the company. Certain rules and deadlines do not necessarily work for some customers, as they do for others. I understand that your organization operates with a similar mentality."

Anonymous User · Answer

"I have not broken company rules to make a customer happy. But I have gone to my supervisor to request an exception. A student once said they were not happy with a workshop they purchased and wanted a refund. When signing up for the workshop, it did state no refunds. But the student was so unhappy with the workshop I offered to contact the Dean to see if there was a possibility of a refund. I indicated to the student this is not a guarantee, but I could advocate how disappointed you were with the workshop. The Dean did issue a one-time refund to the student."

Anonymous User · Answer

"No; I follow company guidelines because they were put in place for a reason. If I feel that a situation warrants special handling, then I reach out to management for authorization."

Anonymous User · Answer

"No; I follow company protocols because they were put in place for a reason. If I feel that a situation warrants special handling, I reach out to management for authorization. For instance, in my UAE exchange role, when customers come with a big amount of money to exchange, they often ask for good rates and I was not in the authority to approve that. So I reach out to my manager to ask if he could give better rates that I could offer to get the business for the branch."

Anonymous User · Answer

"No, I haven't. The main reason is my current industry is highly strict. Some customers lack immigration or visa documents because of their own reasons. They would ask me during the consultation if I could cheat, such as by providing fake transcripts. In this case, I will tell them that our company does not accept any false materials, and remind them that any false materials will be severely punished by law."

Have you ever broken company rules to make a customer happy?

How to Answer: Have you ever broken company rules to make a customer happy?

9. Have you ever broken company rules to make a customer happy?

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