Author Archives: Brad Humphrey

[AUDIO] Cooling Angry Customers

Angry customers will come into your life. The best thing you can do to be prepared is to make sure you and your crews do the very best work possible. Have a quick response time when accidents do happen. Work to understand the root cause to any accident, and correct it. Keep your emotions in check and remember, don’t argue about an issue that you know you will lose!

Learn more in today’s Learning While Listening podcast, “Cooling Angry Customer.”

 

 

[TRANSCRIPT]

Sooner or later we all run into that one customer that, if the truth were known, we would love to rip out their throat. You know the type of customer I’m talking about, the type that no matter what you did to correct an honest mistake, they would never forgive or forget you, your company, or the job you completed.

Sadly, in some of these extreme damage control situations it might be wise to take our lumps and walk away. However, there are several things you can try before throwing in the towel and licking your wounds. Let’s first create a situation that captures some of the intensity a customer might be feeling when mistakes have been made.

John’s asphalt and sealcoating company was completing a private medical clinic parking lot. On the first day of tearing out the asphalt John’s backhoe driver accidentally hit a gas line. It was an honest mistake with the gas line being a little further from the building than either the driver or John would have imagined. Mistake #1.

While the physician who owned the medical practice was upset, he seemed to understand the mistake. The line was fixed within a few hours and the practice didn’t miss a beat in seeing patients. On the second day a hot mix delivery truck backed into a patient’s car, doing several hundreds of dollars of damage. While John’s insurance would cover the car damage, it was not good “PR” for the clinic.  Mistake #2

Finally, a few days later the striping machine malfunctioned. Within a span of 30 seconds there was yellow paint sprayed on one parked car and the corner of the clinic building. The corner that was sprayed happened to be the office…of the building owner. Mistake #3

Now, while some of you are still yukking it up inside, consider any foul-ups you have had. I’m sure for some of us, John’s luck is nothing compared to what we have experienced. Anyway, what could John do in a situation like this one with the angry customer?

First, it is too late but John must ensure that all of his equipment is on a preventive maintenance schedule. The striping machine might have been operating fine but it will still need to be regularly maintained to prevent the type of accident reported here.

Second, aside from apologizing, John will need to go out of his way to see that all individuals who have been impacted by the accidents are more than taken care of. The insurance will take care of the damaged car, the painted car, and the painted building. However, if John wants to ensure greater customer satisfaction, he should be prepared to provide some extra gratuitous compensation.

Providing along the lines of a weekend stay at a nearby hotel or resort, or pay for a dinner at an upscale restaurant. One weekend at a resort or a dinner at even the most expensive restaurant in town will not replace a car but it does demonstrate the seriousness of your commitment to correct your mistakes.

Third, some of you are already thinking that this job may have to be a freebie. Well, if the customer pushes you on this item of business, you may very well have to “eat” this job. I’m not convinced that you have to do this, at least in the beginning, so do not surrender to early. Depending on the physician’s ethics, if he believes you to give in too easily, he may really take you to the cleaners. Whenever possible, try to work out a settlement that does not include giving away work.

Fourth, remain calm when interfacing with the customer. In John’s situation, he had better be prepared to “eat crow” and bite his lip as he takes in an earful from the customer. You only make matters worse if you respond angry or sarcastic. Take your beating like an adult and keep your head cool so you can think through the proper corrective steps. I remember some sound advice from my dad, “Don’t argue or fight about an issue that you know you will lose.”

Finally, the best thing you can do to calm an angry customer is to take corrective action as soon as possible. Have the painted car and building worked on immediately. This suggests having a “crisis action plan” in place for such accidents. Know who the best people are in town who can clean such messes up when necessary. Hopefully you will not have this type of run of luck very often but if you have been in business for any time at all, your day is coming.

OK…Let me give you some bullet point actions in review.

  1. Don’t lose your own temper when the customer loses theirs’.
  2. Be patient…listen first and reinforce your sincerity by taking notes.
  3. Don’t contest everything the customer says happened. They may be wrong but do not argue with them…this is not the time.
  4. Prepare by understanding exactly what happened and/or circle back around to inspect…just be patient and keep your findings to report, if they differ with the customer’s perspective, until tempers have cooled.
  5. Finally, do not avoid the customer. Be sure to take your whipping like a “man” but follow-up.  This will win their respect…someday…but do not avoid following up.

This article was not easy to write. Why? Because looking at John’s situation as my own, I realize that I might not be able to do anything that would convince the customer to use my company again. Then again, considering that I might do some of the reconstructive things mentioned in this article, perhaps the customer would at least realize that I took full responsibility for mistakes made.

Angry customers will come into your life. The best thing you can do to be prepared is to make sure you and your crews do the very best work possible. Have a quick response time when accidents do happen. Work to understand the root cause to any accident, and correct it. Keep your emotions in check and remember, don’t argue about an issue that you know you will lose!

 

[VIDEO] Organize Your Life

Our personal lives can often hinder our work performance, which can circle back around and negatively impact our personal lives. Take home a few tips to learn how to organize your life for better professional and personal enjoyment and growth!

Learn more in today’s 2 Minute Drill, “Organize Your Life.”

https://vimeo.com/160419457

 

REMEMBER: You can watch all of our 2 Minute Drill series at videos.pinnacledg.com, and you can download the Pinnacle Development Group App to watch your training videos on any iOS, Android, or Windows device.

 

[AUDIO] The Casualties of Construction

Every contractor deals with daily problems and challenges that must be adjusted to in order to put his or her crew or company in the best position to win. Like a quarterback in football, construction leaders don’t have all the time in the world to react. You must respond in a timely manner with the best “play” possible to reinforce to your followers that you understand the situation and have the best corrective action possible to execute.

Learn more in today’s Learning While Listening podcast, “Casualties of Construction.”

 

[TRANSCRIPT]

Visiting with a contractor recently I was reminded of some of the not so fun things that contractors and construction leaders must do.  The not so fun things like letting a long-term employee go due to their growing poor performance, or having to hold a customer accountable to what was agreed to in a contract, or to not allowing an employee to take off a few days due to your schedule needs even after you had OK’d their time off.

 

I call these examples, and certainly others that might be more painful or uncomfortable the “casualties of construction.”  These are not illegal, immoral, or unethical type of events but just decisions that a leader is confronted with that has to be confronted or addressed.

 

The realities of construction casualties reminded me how important it is for an owner or leader to have a good handle on their values, their view of business, and their realistic outlook on making their business successful.  Let me share a few insights into what many effective contractors do to handle some of the more unpleasant decisions that must be made.

 

  1. First, be True to Your Personal Mission

No owner or leader can feel like their “life’s mission” or purpose is being trashed.  A leader must be firm, not arrogant, in their commitment to treat people with respect and to understand that not everyone else in their world will agree with their mission.  That’s OK, let the others in your life construct their own mission.

 

  1. Develop a Strategic Plan on Running Your Company

Even non-owners who are still leaders need a clear view of how they want to lead their organization or their part of the organization.  I love the Old Testament perspective of this insight which says “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”  Most “followers” in our companies are drawn to leaders with a vision and a plan.  Having such a strategic plan keeps you grounded and provides a reminder when things get cloudy.

 

  1. Communicate Honestly, Objectively, and as Accurately as Possible

This is a toughie for many leaders.  How do you tell that employee who has been with you for twenty plus years that their performance just isn’t making the grade?  This is tough!  However, it is important to line out to any employee what the need is and how they are doing compared to what is needed.  It is important to be honest and just as critical to be objective.  Objective feedback suggests that you consider all sides to the issue.  Allow others to provide feedback that may not always agree with your perspective.  Just allowing others to sound off to you can strengthen their respect for you.  Finally, being accurate is the last critical piece.  No one likes to be given the wrong information for any reason.  Accuracy implies that you are separating the myths from facts.

 

  1. Deal with Confusion or Concerns Professionally and Promptly

It is amazing how strong the rumor mill can be in most construction companies.  I’ve seen just as much confusion in a small company of ten to fifteen employees as I have a company of five hundred.  What employees don’t understand or are confused about often becomes fodder for the expansion of rumors.  When such confusion is present it is the leader who must address this head-on.  State the truth and facts as clearly as possible.  If the confusion or concern has a touch of confidentiality built in then certainly be sensitive to the confidential issue but if there is no issue here, then clarify the confusion and move on.

 

Dealing professionally and promptly suggests that you never assign blame to an individual, that is, at least publicly.  Stay calm and collected.  Don’t let the confusion or problems of others rattle your emotional cage and begin to lower your own behavior to less than professional.  Such demonstrations often leave the leader looking guilty of covering up some point of interest to others.

 

  1. Look to Turn Problematic Situations into Positive Turn-about

This doesn’t require that you be an eternal optimist but it will require that you consider what good can come out of a difficult situation.  For instance, a better than average worker quits your firm and those who worked with the individual are uneasy about the immediate future.  Immediately consider sharing with those left behind of the opportunities that now exist for someone to step up or for some new approaches to be considered that may have been resisted too in the recent past.  Many employees are drawn to the leader who just doesn’t put a positive spin on a bad issue but is proactive enough to say, “OK folks, let’s quit feeling sorry for ourselves, roll up or sleeves, and get with the program!”

 

Certainly a leader deals with thousands of decisions a day, certainly in the span of a week.  And the manner in which you, as the leader, respond to each and every opportunity is the chance to make a well thought out and prepared decision.  I often refer to construction owners and leaders as quarterbacks who must be prepared to “audible” at the line of scrimmage if faced with a defense that poses a problem to success.

 

You are the quarterback.  The “defense” facing you consists of the daily problems and challenges that you must adjust to in order to put your crew or company in the best position to win.  Like a quarterback you don’t have all the time in the world to react.  You must respond in a timely manner with the best “play” possible to reinforce to your followers that you understand the situation and have the best corrective action possible to execute.

 

Brad Humphrey will be presenting eight different seminars at the upcoming World of Concrete 2008.  Plan on attending one or more of Brad’s sessions and find more secrets and techniques to being the best leader you are capable of being!