Team Development

We have written past blog posts about how we respond to mistakes. Normally it has been about what management does to respond and how we try to incorporate lessons learned. In a sign of a maturing organization getting much better, this post is about how our Installation Coordinator responded.
We disappointed a customer by failing to communicate a delay in the install because the product itself was going to be delayed. Therefore, on the day of the scheduled install, our customer called to ask why the crew was not there.  Quickly, the mistake was identified, profuse apologies offered, and a new install date, a month out, was established.  Our customer was understandably upset having spent considerable time moving furniture and removing window coverings.
As this issue was brought to my attention, our Installation Coordinator asked me if we should do something to try to make this right by our customer.  I responded yes but that I wanted her to determine what was right. I also suggested that she visit the customer at her home and make our apology in person. Here is where it gets much more interesting.
Our Installation Coordinator went to the home and presented the customer with flowers and a handwritten note. Our customer was delighted in our approach. I was impressed by the decision making and the execution.
This is not so much about learning a new lesson but about remembering and applying old ones. Direct face-to-face interaction can’t be replaced.  Heartfelt gestures beat monetary compensation. The thinking and decision making of those closest to the situation is most often better than that of management.
– Gwénaël Hagan, President and Owner of SolarGlass