5 hard lessons learned early

My first real job, after selling fruits & nuts from a kiosk under a mall escalator, was doing inbound sales for a national industrial supply company.  We were known for carrying a wide array of electric motors.  In the employee manual, it stressed that we did not pick out motors for customers.  It was explained to me that this could open us up to law suits if we recommended the wrong one and a building burned down.

So I’m 18, and it’s my 2nd day on the job.  I field a call from one of the branch’s largest customers.  He asks me to pick out a motor for him and I say, “I’m sorry, we’re not allowed to do that.”

“Pardon me?”

“Yes, we’re not allowed to suggest motors for customers.  Our company doesn’t want to be responsible for getting you the wrong motor.”

“Oh, I see.  Well, thanks.  I’ll do a little more research and call back.”

Two weeks later, the manager – his face drained of blood – ran out of his office and dragged me in.  Once the door was slammed shut, he waved a letter under my nose.

“Holy shit, what are you trying to do?  Get me fired?”

Actually, there were two letters.  The one under my nose was from the customer.  It was written to the president of the company, and basically told him of the thousands of dollars they spent every year with our company.  If our staff- who were theoretically experts on electrical motors – couldn’t pick out one simple motor, they would have to move their business elsewhere.

The letter from the president said basically: “I pay you to hire people who make us money, not lose it.  If you can’t do that, I’ll find someone who can.”

Lessons learned:

  1. Can’t get the response you want?  Go directly to the top.  It works.
  2. Don’t know the answer to a question?  Can’t help someone? Admit it, and find someone who can give the answer or help.
  3. Customers aren’t always right, but they should always be happy.
  4. Mistakes are learning tools.  They’re only bad if the person who makes them doesn’t learn anything from the mistake, or the correction.
  5. Try to learn from the mistakes of others to minimize making your own.