Oct11

To Fall is Human, To Respond Is Service

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Who Always Gets a Perfect Score?

It’s a risk of putting our heads and our hearts together into what we do. When we trip, when we fall, it can go to the core of who we are.

How could we trip like that? We’re the ones who remove obstacles. How could we fall like that? We’re the world’s safety net.

What’s critical is where we focus at that moment. Do we look to the fall or to our response?

When people find an imperfection, we can hear them. We can learn. We can stand beside them and see where they are pointing. It’s so much more productive than standing in front of them and feeling pointed at.

The fall is about us. The response is about service.

Liz-Strauss-signature

Liz Strauss

 

  • http://www.wordsellinc.com Brad Shorr

    You are so, so , so right about this, Liz. It’s all about the response. In business I often see people spend more time playing the blame game than actually trying to solve the problem. We all make mistakes! Being human is nothing to be ashamed of.

  • http://www.lettingmebe.blogspot.com Liz Strauss

    Hi Brad!
    You know sometimes it’s a relief to see someone make a mistake. . . . Certainly some of my best relationships started because we solved a problem together.

    I’m with you. It’s the sovling that moves things forward. :)

  • http://prblognews.com Mrk Rose

    Thanks Liz. Needed to read that post this morning. I blew it – sent out press release before it was ready. Client not happy. And I was having a perfect week, doing everything right, feeling good about helping people. Accept responsibility when you make a mistake and when others make mistakes be helpful. Grace under pressure builds character, right?

  • http://www.lettingmebe.blogspot.com Liz Strauss

    Hi Mark!
    Welcome!
    We all blow it sometimes. That’s when we find out what we’re made of. That’s when we find out what the folks around us are made of as well.

    Usually it’s a pleasant surprise. :)

  • http://galmorale.typepad.com/galmorale/2007/06/gal-morale-watc.html Donna Cutting

    Right on, Liz! When I ask my audience members to give me their customer service WOW stories – they often will tell me of someone who made a mistake – but then went above and beyond to make it right.

    Great post, as usual.

  • http://www.lettingmebe.blogspot.com Liz Strauss

    Yeah, we seem to bond well over solving problems together — especially when we are the ones who caused them for each other. :)

  • http://juliekinnear.com Toronto realtor

    I’ve found that clients can be remarkably forgiving, if we are open about our lapse and take immediate steps to fix whatever went off course.

    Since my real estate business works by referral only, it’s important that every client leave satisfied. We rely on client referrals for all future business. We can’t be perfect all the time, so we rely on making things up to the client when we’ve missed something.

    Systems though are great. With good systems, the number of lapses goes way, way down.

  • http://www.lettingmebe.blogspot.com Liz Strauss

    Hi Toronto Realtor!
    Welcome!
    A client referral business does make us more sensitive to client needs. Or it should. :) Glad it does for you. Making things up for a client is a great way to get to know what they care about even more deeply, because they get an opportunity to say what they want insttead. :)

    You’re so right and I so agree about systems. When we think a process through well to develop a system, half of our troubles are gone just because we have done the thinking.

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