“Take Your Damn Sticker Off My Car!” When Company Branding Goes Horribly Wrong

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"Take Your Damn Sticker Off My Car!" When Company Branding Goes Horribly Wrong     

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Marvin Gaye, Strange Noises & In Need of a Service-Provider:

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It happened while driving down the road the other day. An event that both you and I dread. That little noise which you think is an additional drum beat in the song you are listening to on the radio. Nope, I’m a big fan of Motown and I’ve heard the late, great Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On enough times to know that the extra pounding notes do not belong. The noise gets progressively louder, eventually drowning out the crooner’s sweet voice. That’s when the white smoke begins pouring from my exhaust pipe, engine torque and compression cease and I find myself on the side of the road cursing the fact that I figured I’d save a few bucks and not sign up for the optional towing service that my insurance company offers.

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Estimates and Promises:

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We’ll call him "Stan." He’s the garage owner that the tow truck operator recommends when I ask if he knows where I should have my car towed to. "Stan" is affable from the get-go. He looks more apt to be found in a Hollywood movie than in the pair of greasy overalls which he wears. Stan assures me after fiddling around for fifteen minutes that the problem is not a complicated one and that "by this time tomorrow you’ll be back behind the wheel for $300, maybe a "tad more." I smile…I’ve dodged a bullet.

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I will not go into all of the details of what transpires over the next three days. You don’t need to hear it…I’m sure you’ve been through it before. "Stan" gives an estimate. The price begins to exceed the estimate. "Stan" needs more parts. "Stan" proceeds with work without asking me or informing me. No phone calls to let me know things are getting more complicated and the price is going up…he just assumes I would approve. Days go by, each finding me in taxis. A $300 estimate now exceeds $700. "$700 is the most it will be?" I now ask "Stan," exasperated. "You have my word," he answers with a wry smile. The engine is now dismantled, certainly there can’t be any more hidden costs! The next day, I find out that the bill tops $1,000 dollars, approximately half the value of my fourteen year-old Fiat. That’s when I confront Stan…

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Did I not deserve to be kept abreast of the progress of this project? Was he not experienced enough to know what the original problem entailed? Why did he go ahead with additional repairs without my consent? And most importantly, "Stan, you gave me your word! What happened to your word?" His original smile is gone, his affability has evaporated, his pleasant voice is now gruff and menacing and his sour look and grimace now transform his face from Hollywood-like to dour and downright creepy. He blames me for not having the foresight and knowledge to have known that the job could turn into a big one. Now who is the expert? Me? No "Stan" YOU are the expert! 

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I pay the $1,180 bill (nearly triple the original estimate) with a heavy heart and have some more nasty words for "Stan." I drive away angry as hell. And the story could have ended there. Except for one small thing…

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That DAMN Sticker! Adding Insult to Injury:

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As I pull into a gas station on the way home, I notice a new addition to my back hatchback window. A sticker. "I Had My Car Serviced at Stan’s!" Next to the wording is a smiley-face…. Apparently they don’t ask…they just assume you are a satisfied customer, want one on your car and wouldn’t mind providing them with some free advertising!

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I drive back to the garage, stop with a squeal of my brakes and approach "Stan." I have only one thing to say…

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               "Take Your Damn Sticker Off My Car!"

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Your Word, Promise and/or Handshake: The Mark of Integrity:

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As business-owners we all have names and reputations to build, foster, nurture, cultivate and guard. Each of us is a potential "Stan." We might not repair autos, but each and every one of us affixes a "sticker" to our work. It is our name, reputation and good-standing. It should be our mark of honesty, distinction, satisfaction, legitimacy, pride of a job well-done and honor. To the recipient of that sticker it can be a source and symbol of contentment, satisfaction and INTEGRITY or of scorn, disdain and regret. It can mean great word-of-mouth referrals or harmful bad publicity.

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Remember that every customer speaks about their experiences doing business with friends, family, colleagues and with anyone who asks. If a business is great and the client was treated well, people will hear about it. The same is true for someone who receives poor service and was not treated well. A satisfied client is crucial no matter what we need to do to ensure satisfaction.

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I will remember this with every project I take on from this day forward. I will have additional impetus and cues to show me how to act towards those valuable and valued customers and clients who entrust their work and money to me. I will internalize more than ever what giving "your word" truly entails. And I will know how not to act…I have the example of "Stan" to guide me. 

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Image Credits: istockphoto.com

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