The Serendipity of Doing Business Right

When you are in business, sometimes things go wrong. A delivery is delayed or arrives damaged or the product or service may not meet the customer's expectations. It has been my experience that it is not the problem that determines your future with a customer, it has how you handle that problem and make it right. I recently sat in a conference room with my customer (I will call him Mr. Thomason) seated on my right and a corporate representative for a particular product on my left. Mr. Thomason has been having an abnormal number of product failures. After I made formal introductions, I asked my customer to describe the issues he has experienced. When he finished, I told the corporate representative how loyal Mr. Thomason has been over the years. I also mentioned his patience and understanding during this trying time. Mr. Thomason immediately began to tell the corporate representative how he could not be more pleased with how his issues had been handled. He spoke as if the problems he experienced were really no big deal. Like any good relationship, it takes time to build trust and I have been dealing with Mr. Thomason for several years. Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, suggests that with each of our relationships, whether professional or personal, we establish "Emotional Bank Accounts". To quote Mr. Covey, "We all know what a financial bank account is. We make deposits into it and build up a reserve from which we can make withdrawals when we need to. An Emotional Bank Account is a metaphor that describes the amount of trust that's been built up in a relationship. Its the feeling of safeness you have with another human being." The other side of the coin is that a shortage of deposits and too many withdrawals results in the account being overdrawn and eventually the relationship is too damaged to repair. I would like to tell you that every customer will be as understanding as Mr. Thomason, however, there will always be people that you cannot please. Strive to do the right thing for your customers. This includes allowing them to voice their issues and be heard, develop a win-win solution and a solid follow-up plan. Their reaction may surprise you. Have a great week! Pierce