Turning Lemons into Lemonade
This week I had a terrible experience with a car dealership. It was so bad that I told the manager that this was the worst experience I've ever had with any customer service team. I was floored at the lack of customer focus, professionalism, and even common respect. I was boiling mad, but I had to make a choice, I could write a factual (mixed with a little nasty) google review, and still be mad, or I could choose to not be so angry.
The moment that I feel my blood boiling, is the exact moment that I needed to take a deep cleansing breath, and choose my energy. How do I want to feel and what is the outcome I'd like to see? My thoughts determine my beliefs, and my beliefs determine my actions.
My anabolic thinking helped me to realize that I didn't want to show up like the angry crazy lady. Although every, and I mean every interaction, with this particular dealership, ended with me following up and never getting resolution. I decided to let it go, and this time could be different.
I chose to share a story with the sales manager. I told him a story of a customer (me) and all of the experiences (negative) that I had with this service center, up to this point. I shared this, detached of my feeling, just matter of fact. I did this because I wanted him to understand the service that his team was delivering, and I was curious if that lined up to his expectations of customer service. By the end of the call, he apologized, arranged everything that needed to be done, and more.
After a bit of reflection, I understand that the issue is not just the service team, it's the entire dealership. Although I am satisfied with the service manager rectifying my situation, I realize that there is a disconnect between the General Manager, and what he believes his team exudes as values, versus the departments within the organization, who are unconnected to the mission and values stated by the leadership team. As a result, I am going to challenge myself to re-introduce myself to the GM share my story and then see how we can work together to help him create more synergy for his team.
Instead of sitting and stewing in frustration, when things do not go how we want them, think of the opportunity that you could create. When we take the time to check in with ourselves, we can emerge energetically in a way that creates space for options and ultimately opportunities.
What ways can you turn your lemons into lemonade this week?