What to do when....

[Stephen Beckham]

Well, all is good now it seems... But what do you do when a 'buddy' is in your store - who comes in from time to time - who does work for you and you do work for him as a business aquaintance - who had no bad intentions at all - but...

Well - he picked up a $200 piece of finished crystal, it dropped and broke hours before the customer was to come and get it.

I'll tell you what I did - I FREAKED OUT quietly, didn't yell, didn't puke (even though I grabbed the trash can when I got the urge). Of course he went to apology overload and I had to shut him up long enough to get another item on order from California on overnight. It's due in any minute (confirmed through tracking) and the customer will come get it today around or after lunch to give out tonight.

Why do I tell you all this? Well, what I learned is that in the past I would have spent at least a half hour or more or until he left even moaning and groaning. In this occasion, I let my past military training kick in - don't worry about whose to blame, whose going to pay, why or what happened first - there's plenty of time for that later.

Get the fix started first - once you know the process to get things fixed are in motion, then hit the five W's (or your buddy if it was an $1000 piece). By the time I had the new piece ordered and getting rushed out of the warehouse, I had time to calm down and try to convince my buddy that we're good - he was out $200, but we're good.

The other thing I found out is that I was about 25 minutes from cutoff for items to be shipped out over night. Had I spent time chastizing him, I would have failed all together, now I have a replacement coming and still have a buddy to work with from time to time.

BTW I didn't actually charge my buddy any more than replacement cost and overnight shipping, but I did run his card for $200 and let him sleep on it overnight to emphasize when he sees me wearing curator gloves handling something - it might be something important or expensive... :rolleyes:

[Guy Mathews]

That kinda sucks but I have to admit you handled yourself admirably.

One of the perks of my job is being able to work at home because I have 6 computers, 3 of which contain all the software that I use here at work. My boss takes good care of me!:cool: Anyhow, when I started working at home my neighbor who is self employed, and I am good friends with, noticed the car one day and stopped over. Conversation, " I can now work at home from time to time... yada, yada, yada."

Long story short, every time he saw my car, he stopped over to chat if he wasn't busy. Work faltered at home until...

I was up against one hell of a deadline and knew that my neighbor would be visiting. Rather then have a conversation that might result in hurt feelings, I made a sign for the back door. It read as follows...


The CNC Guy
A subsidiary of New Wave Woodworking
Business hours 7 to 5.
Visiting hours after business hours.
Thanks you for your understanding.


Later that morning, the steps grew louder on the back porch, there was a moment of silence (no one died) and then the footsteps leaving the back porch.

Later that night, my neighbor came over with a six pack of Buttwiper, (drink enough and you will understand the pun) and thanked me for setting him straight.

We are still good friends and good neighbors.

Break time is over, back to work!

Guy

[Brian Kent]

We all blow it sometimes. The fact that you kept your head means you kept a friend.

Brian

[Belinda Barfield]

I'm glad things worked out so well.

I'll never understand why people think they can just pick up things like that. I have one young employee that I am trying desperately to break of that habit. He works out in the fab shop but when he comes into the showroom he never thinks twice about picking up whatever he sees. He's just curious but I'm the one trying to clean the crystal when he walks out. In order to produce one of our products we receive a customer's china, crystal, and flatware. Always very expensive, always the finest, always handled with curator's gloves. These are the items he's so curious about.

[Robert Alexander]

I'll tell you what I did - I FREAKED OUT quietly, didn't yell, didn't puke (even though I grabbed the trash can when I got the urge). Of course he went to apology overload and I had to shut him up long enough to get another item on order from California on overnight. It's due in any minute (confirmed through tracking) and the customer will come get it today around or after lunch to give out tonight.

Why do I tell you all this? Well, what I learned is that in the past I would have spent at least a half hour or more or until he left even moaning and groaning. In this occasion, I let my past military training kick in - don't worry about whose to blame, whose going to pay, why or what happened first - there's plenty of time for that later.

Get the fix started first - once you know the process to get things fixed are in motion, then hit the five W's (or your buddy if it was an $1000 piece). By the time I had the new piece ordered and getting rushed out of the warehouse, I had time to calm down and try to convince my buddy that we're good - he was out $200, but we're good.


Steve I wish I had you as my boss at some of my previous jobs. It was scream first and ask questions later. People are not perfect. We all make mistakes.

[David Fairfield]

Some people just have their heads in the clouds. They know better but their minds are on some other plane of existance. I once watched my sister tie her shoe in an art gallery, then grab on to a pedistal to hoist herself up. She was totally oblivious to the three $2,000 vases wobbling on top of that pedistal. This is a woman with a PhD in biochemistry or something like that.

Then there are the people that just can't do anything in a normal courteous way. You really have to watch out for those, and avoid them at all costs. Fortunately, they are easily identified.

Dave

[Mark Ross]

Had a buddy do a similar thing where I "used" to live when I was in the basement mixing up a batch of nitroglycerin...:)

[Frank Corker]

Hey Steve, that's a good understanding on 'don't cry over spilt milk'. Staying cool gets an awful lot more done, crying about it really is just a waste of space.

[Martin Boekers]

On a similar vein I have worked with people that spent time with a client discussing how and why something couldn't be finished.

In the meantime I picked up the order and finished before they ended their discussion:D

You have it right Steve, keep focus on how to remedy the situation and not be distracted by the event!

Time is our greatest asset and shouldn't be wasted.


Marty

[Bill Cunningham]

My complements on your self control... Usually when "Military training kicks in" things get a lot messier :eek::D..
My grandkids have what they think is the perfect answer for when things get broken... "Sorry Grampa.......It was by an accident!"

[Stephen Beckham]

My complements on your self control... Usually when "Military training kicks in" things get a lot messier :eek::D..


Funny thing Bill is that he got scared at my calmness towards him. He even comment that he knew I had a gun and was worried I'd snap or something. I just smiled and stated "then I'd have two messes of yours to clean up..."

Now he did come in Friday and pick up a hammer that I had just finished etching - I gave him a quick "don't drop that..." and it reminded him to stop touching stuff in my store that's not for him...

Bottom line - I guess I can mention it here since I'm not giving his name and he talks about it as part of his healing process - it was a lesson for both of us. He's open about his 'mental problem' of obsessive anger. He told me Friday (after the replacement was safely picked up) that I did none of the things he would have done from his anger problem. His first hand experience of possibly being on the wrong end of the anger made him wonder how others feel when he goes off because he was expecting it from me. Something that made him feel very remorseful of some of his past actions. He had a bad but enlightening evening Thursday night... And said it was worth every penny and far less than he's been paying the professionals to help him... Folks, everything happens for a reason! :)