A "Train Wreck", Lori Nordstrom and Customer Service

Every now and then you have a day that's simply a train wreck and there's nothing you can do except go with it!

by Skip Cohen

Ever had one of those days where nothing seems to go right?  No matter how good your intentions are, it all goes wrong.  The day is a complete "train wreck" and you go to sleep that night feeling like the guy with the broom following the elephants in the circus day parade.

Well, here's the cool thing - some times those horrible days and events give us a chance to show our stuff and that's what my buddy Lori Nordstrom is doing right now.  Here's how she described this week's challenges...

"You know I love this industry, but earlier this week I was NOT feeling it!!  We had over 1500 people registered (great) for a free webinar and then had horrible technical difficulties (sooo bad).  Apparently the Java issues we've all experienced with the labs also were affecting the conference software I use.  I was on tech support the entire morning - logging on and off of 3 different computers, reloading the software, reloading the program, crashing, it was a mess.  It was 1:57 (webinar to start at 2:00) when they figured out it was Java.  I could take the chance and update Java and try for the 2nd webinar scheduled for 7:00pm, or switch to a PC.  I chose PC! ;)

Everything was set up and ready to roll for 7:00. Logged in an hour early and started doing sound checks, etc.  All was well.  There were still a lot of people who couldn't get their own speakers to work, so I gave them a call in option.  Great that there was the option, BAD that every time someone called in there was a series of loud beeps.
This happened throughout the program.  Totally frustrating.  Needless to say, my recording SUCKS!!!"

Okay, so that sets the stage, but here's what makes Lori one of the best educators and service oriented experts in our industry. She's re-recording the webinar and is sending out the link to everybody who registered.  There are a lot of photographers who wouldn't do anything. They'd apologize, explain it wasn't their fault and then invite you to try again in a few weeks with another webinar. They wouldn't go that extra mile!

“There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.”  Zig Ziglar

If you know Lori, then you know she's solution driven and doesn't point the finger without having a way to fix the problem. She can't take back the frustration everyone felt, but she can give everybody a great compromise...they'll still get the content she wanted to share, just a day later.

Great customer service isn't about getting yourself off the hook when there's a problem, it's about stepping up and fixing the problem, no matter what it takes. It's about taking responsibility even with the trolls and whiners who want to write the nasty emails and complain because they feel entitled. And that's what makes Lori and her approach to business so outstanding!

Lori sent out the attached last night to over 1500 photographers who had tried to attend her webinar. She took the responsibility, fixed the problem and gave everybody a great solution.

The next time you've got a challenge in your business take the responsibility. Then take the heat. Then, step up to the plate and fix it the best you can.  It won't seem like it at the time, but it's really an amazing opportunity for you to strut your stuff!

P.S. This is the last week for Shoes for Love, Lori's favorite charity to help the orphans she talks about in her email. Here's your chance to clean out your closet and give back - all at the same time!  Check out Sunday's post and you'll find all the links to help.

Photo Credit: © Pryzmat | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

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