We’ve all seen or heard the following:
- People just don’t want to work.
- Over 50% of job applicants don’t even show up for the interview.
- Once they hear a drug test is required, they don’t apply.
- Bad customers affect (reduce) employee tenure.
We went to one of our favorite restaurants last week (Royal India in Kirkland) and heard about their staffing problems from one of the owners (glad it’s not the cooks, the food is fantastic). It was the first day on-the-job for the young man who seated us, and our server was pretty new. So it wasn’t a surprise something got messed up, which brings up a good point.
How you treat customers when something goes wrong is the most important thing. My food was not what I ordered (it was still very good, so I kept it) and one of the owners immediately said, “I’ll get you what you ordered to take home.”
How customers are treated is important to business buyers. It’s why for B2B companies the buyer wants to talk to customers (blindly, as a reference check, satisfaction survey, etc.). Online reviews are fine but can be manipulated, which is why one client told me he never reads the one-star or five-star reviews, only the ones in the middle as there’s less chance of being misled.
It would be great if nothing ever went wrong, but things do go sideways for even the best of us. It’s what is done to correct the situation that’s important.
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, but your government only when it deserves it.” Mark Twain
“The trouble with being punctual is that nobody is there to appreciate it.” Franklin Jones