Today in my business I awoke to an order from a client from an eCommerce page I had not used in months. I was in a panic. I didn’t have the fabric in that order, I didn’t do that style anymore, I had grown so much, I charged more, I thought the site was taken down, I wanted to pull my hair out.
I first told the client my situation and sent her an email stating the issues. I sent it off and walked away. But you know that feeling in your gut, you know that twinge when you feel like you should do something about a situation? Yeah, I had that. So I sat down, mediated for a minute and then decided on a better solution.
I deiced to be a person of honor
I decided to be a person of my word.
It was not the clients fault that these things were not in order. How would I feel if I ordered something and was then told I couldn’t have it. I would say “That’s not my fault, honor the order.” So that is exactly what I did.
I quickly got back online and sent her another email. I took a picture of fabric that I thought might be the closest to what she originally ordered. I told her the value of what she was getting, I told her how I understood that it was not her fault and how in the end I wanted to be a person of her word and a person of honor and would she be ok with the other fabric and have the understanding that these are normally priced higher?
She loved the fabric and so that is the direction I am going in.
Could I have declined the order? Sure
Would it have hurt my business if I had? Most likely
Would it have hurt my reputation? Most likely
What message did I want to send? That I was a person of honor, that my brand was solid and that myself, my brand will honor what was done.
What do I think the outcome of this will be? I think she will be happy with her apron. I think she will also be happy with the fact that I am honoring the price, though that is NOT the current price, and I think she will end up being happier than if I had canceled this order therefore a happy customers brings about more business and more happy customers.
Being a person of your word is not always easy.
Being a person, a brand a company is not always easy. But doing what is right, IS EASY and in the end THAT is what SHOULD be done.
Remember the message you leave behind as it will be the message you carry forward
TrishaTrixie™ Sprinkler of Fabulousness 
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