I screwed up and I am so very sorry!!

NEWSFLASH: Pharmacies and pharmacists make dispensing errors!! We wish we didn’t. We’d do anything we possibly could to reverse them when they happen, but well, they do happen.

When I first got out of pharmacy school (23 years ago) I worked in a busy pharmacy with 3 other pharmacists. One of them (Mary) had a unique way about her. The first time I saw a customer bring a “mistake” to her attention, Mary looked in the computer, saw that it was actually HER that processed the prescription, and responded to the customer: ”I’m sorry, WE made an error. Your prescription was difficult to read and WE misinterpreted it.” For several minutes the customer griped and complained about the incompetence ….and left unhappy even though she had been given a replacement and a refund.

The second time Mary discussed a dispensing error with a customer (several weeks later) she looked in the computer and saw that it was ME who had messed up and gave the customer a 20mg tablet when he should have gotten a 40mg tablet. Mary promptly walked over to the customer and said: ”COREY gave you the wrong prescription!!”. The customer became irate! ”Who is this COREY?” ”Someone should talk to him!!” etc, etc, etc. I though to myself, among other things, “WOW, isn’t that interesting??”

Of course, what comes around goes around. Eventually I got MY chance to throw MARY under the bus. But I was 23 years old and had more guts than brains. I felt Mary looking over my shoulder when I was looking at the computer and felt her uneasiness as MY GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY leaped onto the stage. Suddenly, a greater opportunity popped into my head: “Wouldn’t it make her feel like crap if…..”

I walked over to the customer and said “Mrs Johnson, I’m so VERY VERY SORRY. I gave you the wrong medicine. I feel TERRIBLE!! I cannot apologize enough!! Here’s how I’D like to make it right for you…”

In my attempt to spite (yes I’m a sinner) Mary, I got the largest customer service training experience of my life in Mrs. Johnson’s response:

“That’s OKAY son. We are all human!! I appreciate YOU having the courage to admit YOUR mistake. Thank YOU for correcting it, and YOU have a wonderful day!”

You could have knocked me over with a feather. You can also know that, of course, said action has become my modes operandi ever since!!

These days, I am the manager and I really do believe that when my employees screw up it is indeed me that screwed up. In that regard it isn’t even really a white lie designed to satisfy someone….

Here’s the take away after 23 years of reflection and implementation (If you don’t believe me please google “United Airlines Wrecks Guitars” and learn how shirking responsibility can really bite you in the pants):

When a customer is wronged in some way, they feel like a victim. Like all victims they want 3 things:

1) They want to be heard!

2) They want someone to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!

3) They want someone to make it right!

I’ve learned not to define my self-esteem in terms of my inability to be perfect, but rather in my ability to take responsibility, regardless of whose actually at fault, and in my ability to makes things right.

Now, I absolutely love it when things go wrong. It gives me a chance to show what I can really do to make things right!!

Bio:
Corey Jahnke is the author of “We Are Not Here On Rehearsal” and the creator of SuccessEqualsValue.com. Corey is a John C. Maxwell certified success coach AND a Bob Burg certified Go-Giver Coach. Corey’s company, Legend Crafters, helps people go from stuck to unstuck, from unstuck to remarkable and from remarkable to legendary. Will YOU become a legend?

Links:
www.coreyjahnke.com
www.SuccessEqualsValue.com
www.facebook.com/cwjahnke