OK everyone - even the Sales Diva is not immune to screwing up royally every now and then! I can't believe I am actually going to tell you what happened to me recently... but it will give you a laugh!

I was recently asked by a local college to do a tele-class call. No problem. Booked the date. Booked the time. Was completely prepared for the 8 pm call.

Went for dinner at 5:30 pm. By 6:50 pm I was on the road and only 10 minutes from home.

Then it happened...

Boom!

One of the rear wheel tires on my car started making that "thumping" noise that we all dread.

The problem? I am on a major city freeway with traffic whipping past me at 100 miles per hour.

Problem #2?

Cell phone battery has barely enough juice to make one call.

Problem #3?

I don't have the number of the facilitator - I only have her office number!

You know what happened - I called a tow truck - left a breathless message for the facilitator and then sat in my car on the freeway for an hour- and missed the tele-class entirely..the one I was supposed to appear on as a guest!

Screw-ups Do Happen - So What's The First Step?

1. Act quickly. This is not a time for putting your head in the sand, getting defensive and not accepting responsibility!

What did I do? I left 2 messages for the facilitator, e-mailed her and then also called immediately the next morning. (You can imagine the sleep I had!) I apologized profusely for the stress and embarrassment I had caused her and asked her what I could do to make the situation better.

2. Do Whatever Needs To Be Done - Quickly. The facilitator was fabulous. She had been worried about me as she knew I would never leave her in that type of situation on purpose.

Her students were very understanding and they were also worried about me! We set a date for a second call the following week and recorded a fabulous session.

3. Over-Deliver. Don't just meet the needs of your customer...over-deliver. I sent an apology note to the participants of the call and I also sent a gift - a report they could use for their businesses immediately.

We have all screwed up at one point or another - however - the true mistake is when you don't handle it properly!

Who do you need to contact today to solve a problem that you have caused? As my mom would say " SNAP OUT OF IT" and get your act in gear - you will feel soooooo much better and so will your customer!

Copyright 2005