NAILED IT

i took my wife to London for a surprise treat this weekend.  She didn't know what we had planned and so each element was a genuine surprise.  The only problem was that I got a surprise at one of the treats.  I had booked her on to a chocolate walk around some of London's top chocolatiers.  So we arrived at the meeting place to join a dozen or so other people for the designated twelve noon start time.  Only twelve noon came and went with no sign of a guide.  Finally at 12:20ish we ran the organising company to be told that the guide had rung in sick and the tour was cancelled.  "Well that went well" I thought as I visualised all those brownie points running out of my account.

I then decided we needed to make a list of everyone who had been let down to do the complaints equivalent of a class action.  It was at that moment that a young lady, who turned out to be called Natalie, stepped forward and said "I am a trainee guide and was supposed to be on this tour as an observer, if you want I could take you round.  I don't know all the history yet, but i can give you a flavour".  Well flavour was the word my wife and the other women were waiting for as they assured Natalie that the history was the least of their worries, they just wanted to sample great chocolate.  And even as a chocolate sceptic I can confirm there were at least two stunning pieces as we went round.

it must have taken Natalie a bit of courage to step forward into the midst of a bunch of grumpy customers and stick her hand up to take responsibility.  She was a star, and did a great job as the substitute guide.  But as we wondered round Soho and Piccadilly the thought crossed my mind, how often are we prepared to stepped into a potentially toxic situation and rescue it?  How often do we have the courage to step up like that?  It is that courage that is the magic dust that can turn the situation round and end up delighting customers.