Welcome!

I'm Tami Parks, fourth-generation entrepreneur and small business person. I love small business and consider it the heartbeat of America's marketplace. My family has been involved in real estate, service, and retail; we're just regular people who have a passion for serving others and being our own bosses.

My husband and I have made a committment to run our business, Great Lakes Wedding Gown Specialists, LLC, as a debt-free business. This blog is our accountability partner!

Friday, April 30, 2010

A Full Moon?

So, yesterday was rough.

Do you ever have one of those days in your business where everything you touch goes wrong and no matter how hard you try, no customer is happy?  That was yesterday for me.

Two business associates then told me that it was a full moon and that was the reason. 

Whatever the cause, those kind of days are going to happen to all of us, especially if you are involved in customer service.  (Aren't we all)

Some of the difficulties were my fault; I forgot to sew a monogram patch into a wedding gown and had to try to do it quickly while the bride and her Mom were waiting. 

Most of the challenges were caused by another:  a bride whose gown came in too short from the designer, another bride who soiled her gown before the wedding, a wedding file with two different dates listed...

In business, it doesn't matter who caused the difficulties and we can never use the word "fault".  The customer service rep, the manager, and ulitimately, the owner, bears the responsibility for correcting the mistakes and making the customer as happy as possible.

So how we do handle these days?

For me, my faith in God reminds me that He is in control and nothing surprises Him.  When I consciously turn difficult issues over to Him, my mind can clear and sometimes  see a solution that I had not thought of before.  Sometimes, I just have to work through the problem and know that "tomorrow is another day" (to quote a favorite movie)

May I encourage you in knowing that you are not the only small business manager or owner who faces tough days and customers who will not be pleased nor even satisfied.  Offer the best solution you can, give the customer your sincere apology and move on. 

Blessings,
Tami