A preemptive strike is defined as an attack against an enemy in response to an apparent threat of attack from that enemy. However, this military term also applies to customer service, particularly in managing dissatisfied customers.
According to this technique, when an employee perceives that a customer is dissatisfied or upset about something or a "mistake," takes place such as waiting too long to check in or their order is delayed, they rush to apologize or show understanding, as well as offer a brief explanation of what happened (e.g., "the system is down," "there's been an emergency with the doctor and he will be delayed"), before the customer even expresses their dissatisfaction or leaves disappointed.
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In this way, we show the customer that we care and that we have acknowledged this "unpleasant situation." This works as a sign of professionalism and is expected to mitigate their dissatisfaction and perhaps prevent them from complaining or writing a negative review.
The main advantage of the preemptive strike is that the employee speaks first and, in a way, gains control of the interaction with the customer.