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Please go away (angry)

Written by: Seth Godin

Article Overview: If you've got more than one person in your organization, you probably have a policy or two. And those policies have certainly made someone angry. Now what?

Please go away (angry)

If you've got more than one person in your organization, you probably have a policy or two.

And those policies have certainly made someone angry. Now what?

Yesterday, I ran into one of those policies at the cell phone store. Try as I might, I couldn't get the clerk or his manager to see how ridiculous the policy was, or get them to show any ability to work with me on it.

So, the company gave me the following choices:
a. admit that you are wrong and we are right and do business with us on our terms no matter how much it annoys you.

b. decide that compromising your principles or the way you want to do business isn't worth it, decide that we are pathetic morons and leave angry.

Why would you only give your team these two options when dealing with prospects and customers?

The obvious answer is a lot more flexibility in the front line. But of course, that's tricky and expensive and sometimes impossible. I think, though, that there's an easier piece of first aid that every organization ought to install. It costs very little and it gives you another chance.

Give the team one more form. And here are the instructions:

When a customer is really upset about a policy or a procedure or something we did, and the only alternative appears to be telling them to go away angry, pull out this form. Explain (only if it's true) that you are disappointed that they're upset. Explain (if it's true) that you agree that the policy is stupid and doesn't make sense in their case.

Then, working as a team, write up the situation. Work WITH them, egging them on. Get all the details on this form, let them explain to you and to themselves what the problem is. Get their contact info.

When you're done, thank them for helping you (it's true, they are helping you!), then fax the form to the CEOs direct fax number.

No, the person won't get satisfied that minute. But they won't leave angry, either.

That and you just might get rid of a few policies and save a few customers.

Related Articles
  Women Angry At Work
  Fear of Anger - Yours and Others
  How to Deal with an Angry Customer
  How To Calm An Angry Person
  Speaking Your Truth When it's Hard

Article Tags: cell phone store, ceos, choices, fax number, first aid, flexibility, morons, prospects, working as a team



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viral videos - Hi Mark - can you share more details about what you're trying to do? In terms of viral videos that show frustration with the computer I keep thinking about that one with the big guy who got angry in his cubicle and smashed up his computer - that one made it's way around - I had at least 10 different people send it to me saying I had to check it out.
Need help on some crazy ideas... - Hi guys, We are bidding on a viral marketing video for a US based company (selling over the phone can be a challenge!) and I need your help. Can you please give me some crazy ideas - picture yourself being really really really angry with a website - what would you do to your computer if you were really mad... would you throw it against a wall... hit it with a baseball bat? Throw it off a building? Please let me know ASAP. Appreciate your help! Mark
Re: WHAT BRINGS TEARS TO YOUR EYES ???? - [quote="barrysarner":2wc9l3wf]February 5,2010 I get truly choked up when I read about, or see on the TV or internet, how people can abuse animals. I get so angry when I see this. I wish I could save them all.[/quote:2wc9l3wf] I agree 100% and then some!!!
Marketers, Learn What You Can, Cannot Control Online - I am a Customer Service Representative in my company so naturally every once and a while I get angry customers fed up with my companies policies. Oh! I remember one day on my way home from school I was walking by a gas station and there was a man with a huge cardboard sign outside a small car mechanic business telling people not to go there because they are crooks. I am pretty sure they lost tons of business. I know my mama kept away from there after I told her about it. I found it pretty funny. I wonder if the guy got arrested or fined though....


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