Over the years, I have developed a number of techniques for managing conflict resolution and customer relations. One of the most valuable that I like to share in my trainings is letting go of being right for which I coined the phrase “Being Right Is The Booby Prize.” It is a time management tool that protects the self-esteem of the customer and creates an environment where the customer feels valued.
Often I ask participants in my seminars to share personal stories of lessons learned on the job. These are a couple of my favorite stories because I was able to watch the transformation take place right before my eyes. More importantly, they demonstrate the time-saving power of letting go of being right.
Holding On To A Point Of View
A young man early in his career had a job selling tour tickets at an attraction. A customer with a family purchased individual tickets for each member of his family. After the customer had purchased the tickets, he noticed that there was a family package and asked why it hadn’t been suggested. Not knowing any better, the young man said he sold the man what he asked for. The customer started screaming and yelling and insisted that he speak to a supervisor. After listening to the customer’s complaint, the supervisor ended up comping everything while apologizing profusely.
For years, the young man held resentment for his supervisor for not backing him up. He simply could not see the error he had made. That is, until he took my class. He shared with 150 other people how he had held on to this resentment for years and for the first time in his life he could see that it was his fault; that in fact his job was to care and actually help the customer and not just sell the tickets. Recognizing why his supervisor comped the tickets, he had a huge breakthrough regarding his own behavior and responsibilities towards the people he serves.
Tuxedo Strawberries
A hotel guest called room service and ordered chocolate covered strawberries. She specifically asked that they be decorated as tuxedo jackets, a common practice for this confection. The strawberries were delivered and eaten and presumably enjoyed by the guest. The guest subsequently complained that they were not decorated with the tuxedo jackets. Since the strawberries had been consumed, there was no way to prove if the guest was telling the truth or not. The supervisor in charge held the position that the strawberries were delivered and eaten and therefore they had delivered on their promise. The guest was not satisfied with this response and literally argued with the supervisor for twenty minutes.
The supervisor could have saved time and made a guest happy by sending up another batch of strawberries. He simply could have let go of having to be right and embraced the concept, “Being Right Is The Booby Prize.” Mastering this one skill can profoundly change the level of service that creates loyalty that in turn creates profitability.