Why You Should Turn Your Problem Into Their Solution

I very often go away at weekends, mainly because my husband has cycle races all around the country and it’s fun to tag along. As you might expect, we stay in various motels, making a fun weekend of it, and so we experience many local businesses as we go. Nothing noteworthy there, except on occasion we have been asked by motel staff not to take the cycle into the room with us but to leave it outside.

Now if you are a competitive cyclist, you will know that a race cycle can cost upwards of $10,000, not something you would voluntarily leave outside on the doorstep, and a well-cared-for machine is actually extremely clean. But the annoying fact is that some motels make a fuss about it, which means we don’t go back, and neither do the other team riders, so it’s quite a loss of revenue for them. Then this weekend at a race, something really positive happened.

The weather was bucketing down and there were 8000 riders in town. After the race I went back to our room and found a dark bath towel and a note from the motel staff.

It simply said ‘Please use the towel provided to dry or place your bike on’. Perfect!

They could have been miserable --– like at other motels – and said leave your cycles outside in the rain, which would have upset many of their guests. Instead they chose to take a more positive approach. They knew their guests felt passionately about their kit because it’s expensive, but with the nasty weather needed to protect their carpets, and rightly so.

Taking the positive approach will not have been lost on the many other competitors staying there, and I’m sure repeat business will come because of it. 

The moral of this story? If you are even thinking about asking a customer or client to do something they are probably going to wrinkle their nose up at, turn it around and see what you can do so you don’t have to ask and risk it. They will remember you for it and you may just keep your client.

How have you turned your negative into their positive?

(If you're ever in need of a room in Taupo, try them.)

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I am the author of three books (Wiley) on social media marketing and building relationships and you can find them all here. I am also an Extended DISC accredited consultant. You might like to subscribe to me for more useful updates and if you are looking for a speaker or trainer for your next event, do get in touch.