Here’s a story showing a little negative thinking in advance can help you deal with complaints. It’s important to remember, when you work in customer service, they customers aren’t complaining about you. They’re complaining about the company. I watched this incident live on TV Sunday
and had the exact same response as Robert Kraft. From The Sporting News:
Patriots owner Robert Kraft sat behind his wide desk and marveled at how his team’s jersey could be the target of so many boos — even when it’s worn by a 14-year-old girl.
This wasn’t Randy Moss or Rodney Harrison hearing the catcalls. They’re used to it.
This was Anna Grant, a high school freshman who had worked hard to win the Punt, Pass & Kick competition in her age group as the team’s representative.
When she was introduced along with the other winners before the fourth quarter of San Diego’s playoff win last Sunday, she was the only one booed by the crowd in Indianapolis, home of New England’s fiercest rival.
“Why should a champion be booed?” the boss of the three-time Super Bowl winners said Tuesday. “She won an intensive competition. She’s supposed to be honored.”
I like that she had the proper negative thinking working for her so she could maintain her positive attitude.
“Before I went down there, my friends said, “You know, you’ll probably get booed,”‘ she said in a telephone interview. “I was kind of waiting for it.”
“It really didn’t bother me at all,” she added. “People at the game came up to me afterward and said, “It’s not you. It’s your jersey.”‘
That’s how you use negative thinking! If you understand the context of the situation before you get started, you’ll be able to react and cope better. Thankfully, Mr. Kraft had the right response to all those boos:
“What I decided is that we would honor her here before this game,” Kraft said in an interview in his office filled with photos, footballs and other memorabilia. “We will recognize her as the winner on the field. Our fans will know.”
They will and she’ll get the ovation she deserves.
