Due to sewer issues (among other hair-pulling difficulties) in our current apartment, my wife and I have had to do some emergency apartment-hunting over the last week and a half.
When we were notified - after only 6 months of living in our current apartment, mind you - that we had to move out, my wife, understandably, contacted the agent who had leased us the place and voiced her displeasure. After all, beyond the rent money we had spent, we had invested in furniture, expecting to stay there for more than a mere half-year.
And trust me when I tell you - the sewer was just one of the many aggravations we had to put up with.
The agent responded that she was sympathetic to our plight, and would do us a favor (we had to remove the batteries to our BS alarm after she said that - it went haywire) and show us another apartment.
We were mildly interested in that apartment, and, after determining the rental price, the agent informed us that, out of sympathy, she would only charge half a broker’s fee.
Right or wrong, my wife and I (and all of our friends - thanks everyone!) were a little perturbed. After all, we had a miserable experience with the first apartment. As a gesture of goodwill, shouldn’t the broker fee be waived?
Affronted, the agent responded, and I’m paraphrasing, “believe me, I don’t need this. I have enough recommendations and requests.” (In the interest of fairness, this was said very respectfully.)
I, for one, was stunned. I wasn't surprised that she was asking a broker's fee. I was flabbergasted at the utter complacency I had just witnessed.
Whether her company should be owed a broker’s fee or not is debatable. What is not debatable, however, is how her response runs completely counter to a winning business mentality.
Complacency, in any area of life - personal or professional - is the ultimate growth-killer. There is no such thing as having “enough” recommendations. “Enough” business. There always has to be a drive to grow, try to procure that next loyal client, obtain one more brand advocate.
Now, of course I’ll admit that, as Michael Port says, every business has to operate with a “velvet-rope policy”. One can't waste their time with customers who will drive them up the wall. But in our case, there was a golden opportunity to build lasting goodwill. To acquire another brand advocate.
And she blew it.
Think of your reputation as your house. And repeat it until you vomit: Your reputation is your house.
Your reputation is your house.
Now, what would happen if you discovered a leak in the roof of your home? Not a particularly large leak, but a steady one nonetheless.
If your reaction is, “yea watevs, most of the house is still intact, so I’ll just ignore it,” please never invite me into your home. Ever. After all, why take chances?
The same applies to your business. You cannot be willing to pass on the chance to shore up a crack in your reputation, your home, because most of the house is in working order. That's sheer lunacy. If there’s a leak, be dam (you can vomit at that pun, too) sure to fix it!
Follow the example of customer experience superstars such as Zappos, or Sainsbury’s. These companies are global household names. I’m quite confident they have “enough business”. Yet they consistently exert every last ounce of energy and resources to get that additional brand advocate.
Why do they take that time and effort?
For one simple reason: Once you’ve determined what’s “enough”, you've slammed the door on future opportunity.
Never be complacent. Never shut that door.
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