 Are
You Referable?
Technical
competence alone does not make you ‘referable’,
no matter how good you are.
My friend Treva recently experienced a car breakdown
in Los Angeles. Her vehicle was towed to a nearby service
station where the manager put her at ease with his comfortable
style and obvious expertise. He promised to call her
the next morning with an evaluation and an estimate.
She took the bus home. The next morning, he did not
call. She called him in the afternoon. He apologized
and agreed to call her back by the end of the day. But
he didn’t. She reached him again the next morning.
This time he promised to call back within 45 minutes.
Two hours later, he still had not called.
In the end, Treva’s car was very well repaired.
The manager gave her a clear explanation of what had
gone wrong and charged her a very reasonable price.
I asked if she would take her car to this person in
the future. She paused and replied, ‘Yes. I can
trust him to take good care of my car. But I won’t
refer him to anyone else. I can’t trust him to
take good care of my friends or my colleagues.’
Key Learning Point
Being technically
competent is not enough to build a growing business. You
may be a terrific lawyer, doctor, accountant, broker,
supplier, programmer, manufacturer or car mechanic, but
if you don't keep your promises in every way, you just
won't be referred.
Action Steps
Promises are the
foundation of reputation. Make them, and keep them.
Next Article in Customer Service Improvement >>
Tweak Your Customer or Tweak Your System?
First Article in Customer Service Innovation >>
In the Spirit of Service
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