Today we had a bit of a problem at The Physio Co: instead of a few reminder emails heading out to our clients, about 40 emails were sent with the wrong content. Bummer! But an opportunity to chat…
The guys in my accounts team were honest and upfront that they’d made a mistake and planned to follow up with a friendly “I’m very sorry” email. The follow-up email is a pretty standard approach and would probably have solved the problem. But would we have missed a great opportunity to talk to our customers? Absolutely!
When the follow-up email plan was suggested, I asked one question: “What would you do if you’d sent the wrong email to just one person?” And the response: “I’d call them to apologise.” It’s that simple. If you’d call one person, you should call them all.
The accounts crew weren’t that excited about making 40 phone calls that could have been avoided this morning. But, when I spoke to them this afternoon, it turned out the calls had been well worth it. They had built stronger bonds with the accounts departments of our clients, they’d picked up some interesting intelligence and they’d learned how important it is to double and triple check before hitting send.
Avoiding mistakes is best. But if they happen, pick up the phone and chat. Talking face-to-face or on the phone as often as possible is the best way to build great relationships. Don’t miss an opportunity!