Somebody Screwed Up?? Now What?

Did I mention that my selling career started with greeting cards door-to-door. I can remember at age 9 taking custom orders for Christmas Cards. It was real important to spell the name right, select the right salutation, and of course mark the correct font. Do you know that many customers will not care that you are only 9 years old if you spell their name wrong? They want it redone.

My mentors said that the customer is always right. We may be in one of the few industries where that isn't necessarily so. Thus, we are faced with the potential for damage control at all kinds of levels every time something is amiss. How do we handle these inevitable times.

First. Be FIRST if possible. If you find out before your customer that there is a problem, get on the phone. You will drop the potential energy of their complaint bomb by 50% or more by being first.

Second. Be CONTRITE if its your fault. If you are calling them, lay it on thick from your first words. We messed up and we want to fix it.

If they are calling you, let them tell you what the problem is. Then, let them tell the whole story a second time. They will not be offended. By repeating their complaint, they commonly reduce the anger, and sometimes begin to see where they are partly to blame. Or the may even begin to see a solution as they speak more calmly. Say that you are taking notes and that you want to be exactly sure what their issues are. If you can quickly determine that it is your fault, be contrite. Fess up fast. We messed up and we want to fix it.

Third. Be SOLOMON if possible. I commonly tell the distributor salesman or buyer whose calling me with a problem (once per year we do make a mistake): "Everyone here calls me Solomon." Well, that might be stretching it a bit, but they do send me most of the big complaints because I can calm things down . . . like Solomon.

In any case, my next statement runs something like this. "How can we come up with a solution that's fair to everyone?" I will say this whether its 100% the end user's fault, 100% the distributor's fault, 100% our fault, or any mix.

The goal in these situations should be to get the end user what they need in time for the event at the lowest cost to all involved.

Like a corollary to the golden rule: If you don't take advantage of me when its my mistake, I won't take advantage of you when you mess up.

So here are a few questions I ask depending on the circumstances:

1. Did we already miss the event? If yes, what can be done now?

2. Is the mistake critical? Serious? Middlin'? Minor?

3. Depending on the answer to #2 . . . Can the product be distributed as is?

4. (If in the back of my mind, I think the end user is being too picky over a minor problem) I ask: "Does the end user know that if we can't use the product it will just go into the landfill?" You may laugh, but that line has saved me many 1000’s of $$ over the years.

5. If the event is missed or it really has to be redone: "Can the problem product be used for any good purpose? Can it be handed out in another situation? If yes, can the customer fix a value on these items? 75%? 50%? What would be fair to the supplier?

6. When the mistake lies solely with the end user or distributor, I will sometimes offer to redo the job at a reduced price. Don't be afraid to ask your supplier for this. Especially if you are willing to look out for the supplier's interest the next time. You may want to reduce your profit on the redo for the same reasons.

After you have worked out the solution. Write up what everyone has agreed to and e-mail everyone involved. Include apologies or thanks as necessary. Build rapport with everyone to keep bridges solidly in place.

Any other ideas on dealing with misspelled names on Christmas Cards?