I’m sorry about that. How can I fix it? It’s the words that customers who spend their money want to hear. We don’t say it enough. As business owners, we don’t want our brand or our names ruined on Google, social media, or any other review site. We want to think we are perfect, but the only perfect person is God. All of us fail our clients if you have never done that, then just wait for it because someone somewhere is waiting to say your business didn’t fit them and they weren’t satisfied. They are waiting to complain about the littliest of things and although you may feel you did a great job they may feel like you didn’t do what was expected. Here is how to own your mistakes as a business owner (and keep your clients).
Say you did it and stop hiding from it. Own what you did. I watch a lot of crime shows (I promise I’m not a killa) and the one thing I can’t stand is when the evidence is there, and the person still says they didn’t do it. It pisses me off to say you did it, then say hey it was a mistake or I was on a substance or I wasn’t in my right mind or even I did it because I wanted to do it. Just own your mistake and say you did it. That’s the first step. I respect people so much that say you know what I did that and I own that.
Fix your mistake and overdeliver on the correction. I once had a client who didn’t love her birthday photos. The lighting was off and I didn’t bring my flash. I gave her a redo and I also did a family photo for free for her. So she got her photos redid and a free shoot for her family as a bonus. I also refunded her money back. She is still my client to this day and raves about my good customer service, even though we started off rocky.
Manage your ego. It’s not about you. People are paying their hard-earned money and they should have what they want. It’s not about you and take yourself out of it. It’s business not personal is my motto. Another mistake I made was not showing up for a photoshoot because I didn’t set an alarm for it. I went on about my day, knew I had a shoot, but didn’t pay attention to the time. The client wasted money getting her makeup done and I didn’t show up. She told folks that I flaked on her and rightfully so (she dragged my ass in social media). After that experience (she didn’t pay me so I didn’t have to refund anything) I put systems in place to ensure I don’t miss another appointment. I have a calendar that I check weekly and I set all my alarms (and a backup one) for each thing I have to do so I don’t miss the time again. I was hurt about this but I had to have a talk to myself and say I am not perfect and I messed up but that doesn’t define my work.
Document everything so that you can have what you need in case things go wrong. You have your side they have theirs and if they put the info out there you can have your proof to defend your business and brand. Still own what you did but also make sure you tell both sides. That might not save you but it’s at least something you can do for yourself to make sure others see you are trying.
I’m not a fan of social media, which is why I don’t have a photography account. People will attack what they don’t know and make up lies and rumors that can bring your business down. I also think handling things in private should be the thing to do, but people don’t do that anymore because they want attention. Clients Remember How You Handled It, Not That It Happened. This is the big takeaway. People forget the mistake, but remember if you were honest, fast, and solutions-focused.
When was the last time you made a mistake? How did you correct it?
