What To Do When Things Go Wrong (part 2)

Remember last week when things were going wrong and it was ALL YOUR FAULT?

I’m not sure if this is any better, but this week, things are going wrong, but they are happening TO YOU!

Well, that’s not so good either, is it? It is a fact of life, things will go wrong periodically.

So, you’ve had a bad experience, maybe had an unsatisfying meal, maybe you were overcharged for something, maybe the merchandise you bought didn’t perform as promised, maybe you stayed in a dirty hotel room, maybe your flight was late, maybe you were treated rudely at a shop. As we all know, this list could be endless, especially during recessionary times when companies are cutting back and things might not be running as they should.

So, you’ve experienced a problem, how do you handle it?

Well, I’m no expert, but I’m guessing that trying to be polite, respectful and informative will get you farther than if you are bombastic, rude and irate.

The same advice for what to do when you cause the problem applies here…take some time, consider your options, think about what to do. Ask yourself the following questions:

Did I contribute in any way to the problem?
Did I have unrealistic expectations?
Who should I complain to?
What result or outcome would I like to see?

If you have these answers in mind when you lodge your complaint, you might be happily surprised at the results you get. Try to remember that everyone (including you!) makes mistakes, and giving someone a chance to correct the problem is the right thing to do.

As my mother always says (although I don’t think she made it up), you catch more bees with honey than vinegar!

Try the power of nice and see if you don’t get your problem resolved amicably and to your satisfaction.