Like to share an experience I had recently, how it was handled and more importantly how it should have been handled.
First let me explain the why I want to share this. I’ve been in business for about 10 years. Owning my own business was a logical next step in my “work life”. Prior to being a business owner I helped several different “bosses and business owners” build several businesses in different industries. I’ve been in Management since the late 80’s.
Here’s what I want you to take away. There are several core beliefs you need to have to be a successful business owner. Maybe I’ll do future posts which will touch on more of these. The one I am going to focus on right now… entrepreneurs and would be business owners pay attention cause here it comes… Shit happens… it’s how you deal with it that makes the difference.
So here’s the experience that got me motivated to write this blog. I stopped at a local car wash. It was 7:53am. As I pulled up I saw an employee removing orange cones from the drive thru lanes. As I got close to the man, I rolled down my window and said, “Oh, are you closed”? His reply, “No, we open at 8.” He then turned away from me and continued removing the cones. I sat there for a moment, looked at the clock and because there is another car wash just down the road, I left without a car wash.
Here comes the Shit happens… it’s how you deal with it that makes the difference lesson.
Here’s what should have happened. It was 7:53am. As I pulled up I saw an employee removing orange cones from the drive thru lanes. As I got close to the man, I rolled down my window and said, “Oh, are you closed”? His reply should have been, “Good morning / hi / how are you, we open at 8 but if you give me a minute I’ll get everything on/open for you.” or something to that effect. I would have gladly waited a few minutes because he was “taking care of me”.
Here’s the kicker… it would have COST ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for him to “treat me special”. I would have sat there for the few minutes while he “opened” and he would have opened maybe two or three minutes early.
So I lied earlier when I said I was going to focus on one core belief, because there are actually two take-always.
Shit happens… it’s how you deal with it that makes a difference.
Treat your clients special. Especially when it costs you nothing.
Full disclosure: the car wash in the picture is not the car wash being described in this post. The one in the photo is an excellent car wash.