What is accountability? It is taking responsibility for your
actions or the actions of your business. Your business provides a product or
service for a price. If your business makes a mistake in that action what does
it say about your business? As an individual, you make statements or engage in
actions, either personal or as a representative of your business. If you make an
error in those actions, what does that say about you as a person or as a
representative of your business?
We all make mistakes in our daily lives, either business
related or personal in nature. Does anyone expect others to be perfect? Does
anyone expect perfection from themselves? Does anyone hold themselves up to
others as perfect? No one is perfect, and to expect others to be perfect is
irrational. Whether dealing with an individual or a business, I never expect
perfection. It would be great if it was true, but I would be delusional if I anticipated
every interaction with anyone or any business to be executed perfectly.
I have said that I expect anyone, business or individual, to
just “do what they say that they will”. What happens when the individual or
business fails to do what they say that they will do, no matter the reason for
that failure? Then I expect the person or business to take responsibility for
their action and for the ramifications that result, admitting that they failed
to do what they should have done. Take ownership of your mistakes or errors,
admitting what you did and that it was wrong. Then move forward, clearly stating
what you are doing to correct the errors.
Depending on the mistakes or errors involved, a person or
business may need to take small or large steps to correct their errors. Taking
ownership and responsibility of the error must be followed by actions to “fix”
the problem caused. Can you undo the problem; can your corrective actions put
things back to where they should have been; can the client’s position be made
“whole”? If you can do all this, great; do it, and do it quickly, to the
satisfaction of all involved. What if you cannot “fix” the problem and make
everyone “whole”?
How close can you come to correcting the error where you
bring everyone involved to where they should have been? Take the steps to do
that as soon as possible, staying in touch with those involved all the way to
completion. What is adequate for one person may not be for others. Perhaps
different solutions may be necessary for multiple clients who were wronged or
slighted. Do not try to apply one fix to everyone, and don’t leave anyone out
of the solution. Check, and recheck, with your clients; make your efforts
personal and comforting.
I will always support a person or business who, when they
make mistakes, takes ownership of those mistakes, and fixes the problems that
result, as fast as they possibility can do so. You need to also reassure your
clients on how you will prevent these mistakes from happening again and what
steps you have implemented to do so. Without that assurance, clients may never
have faith in you not to repeat those mistakes again.
What do you do when your business makes a mistake? How do
you regain your clients’ faith in your business, its products, or service? This
is all part of Appreciation
Marketing and will bring you either good or bad karma. Leave your
comments here, or call me at 360-314-8691, or email
me at Jim@SOC4Now.com. I would also love
to hear from all you perfect people and businesses since I have never before
met anyone who is perfect.
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