Mistakes Happen

Recently, it was time to upgrade the lighting set-up in the RAB studio for video recording. The process involved lots of research on the types of lighting and the companies that made them. Of course, we were looking for the cheapest solution that provided the best quality. We settled on LED panels from a company called GVM (Great Video Maker).

When the three panels that we ordered arrived, one of them had an issue with some burned-out LED bulbs. When we contacted the company, they immediately responded that they would send a replacement panel and do so with expedited shipping at no cost. They also indicated that we could keep the panel with some burned out bulbs, because it may have some use.

One day later, we received the package – a brand-new panel, but a second panel was also included. Recognizing that a mistake must have been made in packing, we again contacted the company and informed them of their mistake. They indicated it wasn’t a mistake, it was their way of apologizing for the inconvenience. It was a free extra panel, which was the model up from the ones we had purchased.

My reaction? As you can tell by my sharing this story, it was a positive one. When you sell products and services, making a mistake or disappointing a customer is not an “if” – it’s a when. Humans and technology are not always perfect, and things are bound to happen. Errors are natural, but how one responds when those errors happen is important. How you respond to the error is not always intuitive.

There is one question you should always ask when a mistake is made that will minimize the impact: What can I do to make it right? By asking this question, the person affected can share what they need. Many times, it's just to vent or say how they feel. If they do ask for something, it’s likely less than what might have been expected.

Here’s the really important part, based on our recent experience. Always try to give a little something more than they asked for. In our case, we will use this company again because of how they handled the mistake – great customer service.

Mistakes happen, and when they do, the suggestion is to ask what you can do to make it right, then give a little more and you’ll quickly turn a negative into a positive.