By Tom Grandy
Take a trip down memory lane when you were little. There was something you wanted to do or perhaps purchase. You were a wise little person, so by this time in your life you had learned which of your parents was most likely to grant your request. With that knowledge in hand, you knew who to approach in order to receive the answer you most wanted to hear. Most of the time it worked. However, sometimes the answer was no. What was your reaction? Being a mature little person, you politely replied with “Mom, or Dad, I see the wisdom of your answer. Thank you for making a decision that I am fully aware is best for me.” Does that sound familiar? Nope. You threw a temper tantrum in an effort to get your way. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t.
Well, 20 or 30 years later things have not changed a lot. We still know what answer we want to receive…BEFORE we ask. The question today is “How do you react when the answer is no?” Perhaps you could ignore the answer if it were your parents responding but what about when it’s your boss or a customer? Do you still throw a temper tantrum or do you accept the answer and adjust YOUR way of thinking? I was blessed to receive teaching from a very wise pastor many years ago. He made a statement I will never forget. He said “Men need to think before they act and women need to think before they speak”.
The message is pretty clear. Take time to think before you respond. Failure to think before you respond can cost the company a customer. Speaking without thinking could also cost you your job.
When we were children our parents really were responding to us in the way they felt was best for us. When it comes to your job or working with a customer you may not like the answer they give but it’s not about you. If you can’t take no for an answer don’t ask the question!
Grandy & Associates has two great Website Special offerings this month. The first is our 96-page Company Policy Manual. This is a critical document for any business. It details everything from drug testing to vacation policy. Since it comes in Microsoft Word the user can add, change, or delete at will. Normally priced at $134.95 this month’s Website Special is only $99.95.
The second Website Special is our online HVAC Onboarding Course. This class is designed to familiarize most new employees (receptionist to technician) with the basics of HVAC. This eight-hour class is normally $299.95 but it’s being featured this month for only $279.95.
