Last week some relatives from Lausanne, Switzerland came to visit us in Miami (where they thought it would be warmer, but not). Their little girl, Maddy is so cute that we were all having fun playing with her and dolls and animals I’d bought. Then her Mom, Christine, asked about her daughter’s new coat, and when she could see it.
Coat? Why would anyone want a coat in Miami and how would I know where Maddy’s coat is anyway?
Turns out I not only should have known, I should have been looking after the coat for the past three months. Chris had Facebooked me in October that she’d bought a brand new winter coat on eBay and the seller wouldn’t ship overseas so she had it sent to me.
And I’d forgotten all about it.
That’s why I was looking at Christine with a blank face, my mind churning furiously for clues, excuses, rationales – anything. Maybe they hadn’t sent the coat, maybe the sellers were ripoff artists. Finally something tugged at a loose thread in my memory.
A mystery package … months ago … no note, no message, not even a return address … a little pink coat. Yeah, the coat … oops, my heart sank. I’d given it away.
This is the way it happened…
I’d been chatting with Julie, the wonderful nurse who’d cared for my Mom in her last three years. Julie happened to mention that her four year old granddaughter in Oregon had outgrown her winter coat.
Wow, I’d thought at the time. Talk about lucky coincidences. The mystery coat is perfect for a four year old girl. How wonderfully strange things work out…Karma. So, brought it over the next day and Julie mailed it to Oregon.
A few days later a delighted little girl in Oregon called her gran to say “thanks”.
Well, that was nice. But now I sat listening to Christine describe the fancy designer coat she’d bought, how costly it was and the fact that it was perfect for Maddy’s coloring. It was pink and pale green, and had special embroidery around the button holes.
I felt like a coat thief, a Robin Hood coat thief, but a coat thief just the same.
I ‘fessed up to Christine and, against her objections, bought Maddy a new coat (it’ll be here soon and I’m going to print MADDY in magic marker all over the box) and ever since I’ve been thinking how this mixup happened.
I guess I’m just on Internet Overload. I have too many things to remember: 100 or so Facebook messages a day, 200+ emails and thousands of Twitters. And that’s just the personal stuff. The business stuff has me on overload.
I’ve made some doozie mistakes over the years.
When I worked for Hearst I once mixed up book club shipments so that 100,000 Good Housekeeping ladies got the Cosmo Love Book. Funny about that one; nobody complained.
One time, working for our Ford of Canada client, we were in a hurry to merge databases and wound up sending huge English language truck-offer packages to 50,000 French speaking Quebecers and French packages to 50,000 Albertans.
Disaster, right? Nope, the exact opposite. We recovered quickly, mailed the right language to all 100,000 with a small added note and later we noticed that those people bought a lot more trucks (as a %) than the 900,000 who got the right language in the first place.
We wanted to send the wrong language to everyone in the following year and then the right language with a small note. Client wouldn’t let us.
Making thing right works because it’s a human thing to do. People sympathize and appreciate the extra effort. It is a good idea when you make a mistake to admit to it…and use a Whoops! Letter, or I’m Sorry, Or, “This might cost me my job, but..” note.
Mostly, though, things work out for the best as Pangloss said “in this best of all possible worlds”
I’m just happy a pretty little girl in Oregon has the nicest, fanciest new winter coat in her whole school! Another little girl in Switzerland will have hers soon….because this time I’ll remember!
About Lois GellerLois Geller is President and Owner of Lois Geller Marketing Group and headed agencies in New York and Toronto. Lois taught Direct Marketing at NYU. She’s the author of five marketing books, including Response: The Complete Guide to Profitable Direct Marketing. Follow @loisgeller on Twitter.
How nice of you all to let me know I’m not the only OOps award winner here. You’re right, Leslie, we’re all on overload.
In fact I am leaving for Providence in the morning to speak to a travel convention about focusing on doing one or two things really well.
But sometimes things just fall through the cracks and yet it usually tuns out for the best, when you “fess up”!
Great post Lois, that must have been a gut-wrencher when you realized what had happened. Had plenty of those moments myself. People really do appreciate when you are up front with them and simply explain the situation or in some cases just ask for some feedback about how things went. I have found that in many cases the project bids that I don’t end up getting are the ones that I learn the most from. And I am always gracious to the prospect for taking a few moments to discuss it with me. Helps me to be a better business person as well as sales person.
As always, you illustrate so well with real-life experiences. What a sinking feeling that must have been when you realized the situation with the coat – LOL. And – the only thing to do is, indeed, to fess-up – an elaborate lie to cover-up would be like serving diluted milk.
Your “Ooops” graphic says it all. Been there, done that, and alive to tell about it – not only without “guilt” but also without the fear that someone might ask the image-shattering question that exposes my fraud!
Thank you for a reassuring post.
It is always a challenge to avoid Internet Overload, especially when it seems like we live our lives now hopping from one forum to another, tweeting and facebooking and trying not to forget our regular old emails! The more projects and communications we juggle across venues, the more likely it is that a ball gets dropped, like the little pink coat. It is so important to remember that there are people on the other end of keyboard and monitor – people who still appreciate real old-fashioned personal attention.
Thanks, Ted! You are probably the best salesperson ever: one who adds value. You even ask your prospect what you can do better, and that is so refreshing.
I guess that’s why every time I see your photo and your Twitter name: @relevance I have a smile on my face. You always teach me good things and even take the time to comment here on my blog. You made my day!
So true Lois, we are after all human! Glad it all worked out in the end, and on top of it all, you made a little girl very happy and warm for the winter!
It’s amazing how people usually want to be friendly and understanding – even in business – even in direct mail/marketing. Simply asking for forgiveness, as you have proven, makes us human, I guess, so people become more open us.
In face to face selling, when I’ve sincerely done my best and not made the sale, I’ve asked for help as to how to do better, or to suggest who they know might be interested. I never meant it as a ploy to “steal the sale back,” and that never happened, but those people did help me in my career in various ways.
Wonderful stories on a Friday afternoon. Thanks.