Have you seen the sign in the antique stores that reads, "If you break it, you buy it!"? I can understand the point, however, I recently encountered another store philosophy about ownership.
During a recent visit to North Carolina, I was in a specialty retail store looking for a pair of ski pants for a guest that was visiting with me. Unfortunately, the store did not have the size I needed. Before I could leave, the clerk replied, "You can't leave, we haven't solved your problem." She then proceeded to look in the back through some new merchandise. After several minutes she concluded they didn't have them.
But she didn't stop there. She called a sister store in another town, again to no avail. By this time I was impressed at the level of service but resigned to the fact that our guest would be disappointed. Then the clerk said, "I am going to Charlotte tonight and I can pick them up at the warehouse and have them here for you by noon tomorrow, will that work?"
I was so encouraged by her attitude the next day I spoke with the storeowner and asked how he found someone as helpful as this employee. That's when I discovered their secret. He told me how employees were trained to consider every customer problem as their own problem. Furthermore, he has taught his associates that the customer cannot leave the store with an unresolved issue!
What about your family? Do the issues you may be facing with them get put off until the next day—the next week—or rarely addressed? Do you ever consider their problems as your own? Why not begin to view every issue your family or a specific family member is facing as an opportunity to do the unexpected—an opportunity to show them you are committed to helping them.
As the store clerk demonstrated, my problem became hers; she made customer service a personal problem that extended past 5 o’clock closing. Make your family’s issues your own. The issue may not get solved immediately, but your family will still sense that you have done something extraordinary. You’ve bought their problem as your own. They’ll appreciate your attention and your effort! |
