Clients and customers put their trust into our business knowledge and abilities. So what happens when we make a mistake? Ivana Taylor gives some good advice in her blog article “Ooops…Can Fessing Up Actually Increase Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty?”.
Honesty is the only way trust can remain in a business relationship. Nobody likes admitting mistakes but if you handle it quickly and with integrity, you may strengthen your relationships further.
Is it your policy to admit when you’ve made a mistake? How have your clients and customers reacted?
Personal responsibility is a cornerstone of success in both business and your personal life. I find that when you are willing to admit your mistakes it opens people up to find a solution. This doesn’t mean you flog yourself. You just take responsibility, say what you’ve done to rectify, and then open up the conversation. At this point most people are willing to share responsibility and find solutions.
Taking responsibility is an admirable trait. Even though it’s difficult to do and difficult to admit that you’ve let someone down - it’s definitely the better and more admirable thing to do.
Funny that you wrote that and I wrote this on the same day. http://blog.buzzoodle.com/index.php/2008/06/23/how-i-use-mistakes-to-write-blog-posts/
It is a post on how I make mistakes and then turn them into blog “wisdom.”
Trying to hide and cover up your mistakes will do much more harm than good. Nobody likes or trusts someone with sneaky behavior. Keep honest & let your customers know about your mistake when you have a clear plan of action.
I definitely think its important to acknowledge your mistakes and to acknowledge when you don’t have all the answers. Customers tend to trust people and businesses who are transparent but dedicated to fixing errors or finding ways to meet the customers needs. Those things are more important and productive than being perfect.
It is a good trait to strive for perfection, but during the path to the implement “total quality management” and continuing (kaizen) into the organization, you will make mistakes.
I think that the bloggers have an implicit way of correcting mistakes and you often find corrections, revisions, or updates on blogs. Compare this with the mainstream media and how they admit wrongdoings. (A small fine print note, buried in the newspaper.)