My job hunting has been a work in progress I’ve been pretty vocal about lately in my posts, but I never really talked about my current job. Seemingly (but not) off topic, a few of you have also asked me why Seth Godin is on my blogroll. Today I can fill you in regarding both in one fell swoop.
First, work. CVS/Pharmacy bought out Sav-on standalone stores in Southern California, including the one I work at, and remodeled the store, retrofitting it with their "state-of-the-art" computer system. Being a geeky power user, I was happy to swap to a windows-based computer system. That is, til I realised that this new system was, in essence, like having an MRI machine test for blindness. In other words, there is really no point in complicating a simple task of putting a label on a bottle and pouring pills in it. This system promised to make that automated process easier and more accurate, but instead has us spitting out funky jargon such as "you need to go to the QT to print a label to scan ready the RX so we can price it to zero" , which when translated simply means "Delete the DAMN Prescription." Fundamentally flawed, this system also uses a workflow so narrow that any clog will cause monstrous traffic jams. No wonder we have angry customers lately. The depressing part about it, really, is that there is really nothing that I as an individual can do to prevent the inevitable traffic jam (and the angry customer). It’s still very much a team effort, and unfortunately, the recent troubles haven’t done well to maintain good team unity either. Still, never to be discouraged, I am always looking to improve the quality of care as much as I can.
Step in, Seth Godin. This guy is a genius when it comes to consumer business dynamics. I first came by him via a video wherein he was giving a seminar to Google associates. I recommend everyone watch it too (HERE). I’ve come to trust his viewpoint on such relationships, and lately he’s posted on topics very parallel with my life, first on the unreliability of job interviews (HERE), and a couple of days ago he posts on…..drum roll please…..how to satisfy an angry customer!
What’s the secret, according to Seth? Speak slowly, acknowledge the situation, and ask how to rectify it. "You cannot sell something (even a solution) nor can you negotiate with an angry person" How the heck did I miss that the first time around? The answer is so obvious it’s tongue-in-cheek! I dismissed it as cookie-cutter advice and shelved it away back into the recess of my mind…..until this past afternoon at work, where his formula came to mind during an issue with an angry customer. Following the formula worked like a charm. She left content, although she still probably won’t come back to my pharmacy after everything is settled. Still, I did what I could and I didn’t waste time, emotion, or energy trying to solve a problem that was unsolvable to begin with.
Surely in every job you’ll encounter someone angry at you or your business practice. Read Seth’s original post and perhaps one day his approach will also emerge from the recess of your mind 
Click HERE
