The Way You Handle the Problem is What Matters

I love being wowed.

A few weeks ago, I dropped my car off at the dealer for its 40,000 mile service. Just your run-of-the-mill, ordinary maintenance. The phone call I received from the service department advising me that I needed new tires did not fall into that category.

I wasn’t happy.

I’d already replaced my tires at 15,000 miles (premature wear and tear) … and now I needed new tires again? Seriously?!!

And yet, at the end of the experience I was singing the praises of Johnson Lexus in Raleigh, NC. (Obviously I still am.)

They heard my concerns and acted on them. The solution they offered was more than fair and was executed with minimum inconvenience for me.

No arguing, no excuses, no defensiveness. Their energy simply went towards solving the problem.

It’s rarely the problem that creates friction or dissatisfaction; it’s how you handle it.

Next time you make a mistake, have an unintended impact or otherwise find yourself in the midst of a problem, turn it into an opportunity. Create a Wow experience for someone.