Morning,

Have you ever had the wondrous experience of NOTHING turning out the way you want?

Not only that…but the trauma through which you go is so heart-rending, it stops you dead in your tracks and shuts your mind down as you scream to yourself,

"OHMYFREAKINGEEEEEK, how can I possibly recover??????"

‘course you have!  So let me now regale you with a tale of just what happened in my family yesterday, the extraordinary way Honorable Daughter 2 tackled the situation, and how you can apply the lesson to making money online.

Yesterday HD2 asked me if she could bring a crystal goblet to school so she could demonstrate how to ring the rim.  Sounds easy enough, right?

Ummmm….easy, that is, until she got the brilliant idea that the BEST way to transport my fine crystal was to wrap it in paper towels and (hope you’re sitting down for this) put it in her backpack.

Yes, I cringed too when I heard that!

Of course, the goblet stem snapped off…and she realized this while at school.  Her immediate reaction was to imitate a deer in the headlights and think to herself, oh no!  Mom is going to be sooo mad!

So here’s what she did.

Prior to telling me, she looked at the bell of the glass and realized, it’s still crystal!

And when it’s gently bonked from the inside, it makes a sweet ringing sound.

So…….

She took a glass charm and some string…and converted the crystal goblet into a crystal bell.

I kid you not – she used a fine thread, strung the glass charm onto it, and then taped that to the top inside of the glass.  She then made a decoration for the hand-bell part….and approached me like so:

"Mom, you’re going to be mad at me because I made a REALLY big mistake…but I wanted to let you know I tried turning that mistake into something really good."

She then proceeded to tell me the story, and brought her hand-made bell out from behind her back.

Let me tell you, I was struck dumb when I saw it.

How on EARTH could I be mad?  Even more fascinating, how on EARTH did she have the confidence to say to herself:

"I CANNOT fix it like it used to be….BUT….perhaps I can make something beautiful OUT of the disaster."

The hand-crafted bell is now a staple on my computer. 

Let’s now bring this post back to the most important person reading it…YOU!

Tell me now, have you ever stuck your foot in your mouth so deep you could give a toe-massage to your kidneys….or perhaps goofed more socially ineptly than a moose trying to figureskate across the Equator during high summer?

If so, the immediate reaction is to panic, right?  But!  All might not be lost…there are ALWAYS ways to turn on a dime and repair the damage (and even increase your customer’s respect for you at the same time).

Here are some ideas.

Step 1.)  Listen…FIRST!

Many times when customers are pissed off at you, they want to know you’ve heard and really understood the nature of their complaints.  Validate their feelings….even if you thnk they just took a flying leap off the logic train.  And when they’re done expressing their anger, do NOT yet explain your point…instead, tell them:

"Okay, let me repeat back to you what I heard is bothering you, and would you please tell me if I got your concerns right?"

This helps ensure you’re both on the same page.

Step 2.)  Tell them your ideas for fixing the situation.

Offer their money back, extra services, tell them you’ll hold their hand until they get it right, etc.

This shows you’re taking responsibility for the problem and not running away. 

Step 3.)  Tell them your timeline.

When your customers agree with you as to a potential solution, proactively tell them how long you think it will take for the problem to be fixed.  You should tack on extra hours/days if necessary so you don’t over-commit yourself (and when you DO finish the work, the customer will be surprised at how you saved the day in a shorter period of time than expected).

Remember, sheet happens! 

But if you look at it as an opportunity for showcasing your inherent greatness, you can turn that chomped on foot into a pat on the back.

And that, of course, is a Very Good Thing Indeed. 

Enjoy,

Barbara Ling

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