13 Dec Sticks and stones may break my bones… but reviews will never hurt me!
My company, MMD, recently received a 1-star review online. The customer said he would never come to MMD again, that the service is slow, and that “the owner doesn’t even know what she’s talking about.”
I was in bed with my fiancé Patrick when I read the review, and as I finished scanning the harsh words on the iPad screen, my stomach sank. I felt like crying. I felt myself slipping back into the person I once was, before I had the inner strength I do today. It wasn’t a good feeling, but it was an interesting one, because it showed me how far I’ve come. It instantly reminded of one of my favorite Brene Brown quotes:
“Nothing has transformed my life more than realizing that it’s a waste of time to evaluate my worthiness by weighing the reaction of the people in the stands.”
In the past, that 1-star review would have depressed me for weeks – because I used to be The Queen of Small. I would enter into a situation and try to hide, becoming as forgettable and unassuming as possible. I was the person at a networking event who would seek out the fun drinking group. The rowdy talking group. With them, I could laugh, stand on the sidelines… not “put myself out there.” It was easier and less risky to be invisible.
The old me was the person who would sign up for an educational conference, walk through the door, see masses of people, and run back to my hotel room to be alone. This scenario typically included immense guilt, a ¾ eaten pizza, and a self-punishing journal entry that was meaner than what you’d say to your worst enemy.
I’m not sure exactly what happened to The Queen of Small, but she went missing one day at a Tony Robbins event down in Boca. The person who emerged is the person who doesn’t give a crap about our recent 1-star review, and I’d like to tell you why.
What I’m crystal clear on today is that everything I do at MMD is done in an intentional way. The service at my company IS slow, and it’s slow because we collectively decided it should be. When my parents started this business, guess what? The service was even slower! We’re order takers at a construction supply company. We engage with and care about our customers, vendors, and even the truck driver in the 53-footer who’s dropping off our inventory. We take our time, we have conversations, and we learn and care about others.
And while I may not “know what I’m talking about” with many things in life, I’m always happy to do what I can to help our customers with whatever they need – including stopping whatever I’m doing to figure something out, or making a call to someone else who might have the answer to a question. At MMD, we’re not here to be know-it-alls about every aspect of the construction industry. We’re here to specialize in what we do best, and to do it in a way that benefits as many people as possible.
In business, it’s so easy for someone to give you “negative” feedback – especially if they’re sitting behind a computer screen typing it to you, and not actually saying it to your face. But if you’re clear on how you want to do things, and you know you’re doing right by the people who matter most, then you don’t have to take the feedback in a negative way. In other words, don’t let the haters get you down. They’re just acting out of their own insecurities, wanting you to feel the same way that they do about themselves.
Which brings me to my last point. I was once categorized as “amiable” in a business program. Out of 35 people, there were only three amiables. I would say it was a pretty accurate description. I have a pleasant nature, which translates into my desire to make everyone’s interactions with our team here at MMD as positive as they can be. But I’m no doormat. And no matter how many 1-star reviews people give us on Google, there’s no way in hell I’m turning back into the Queen of Small.
Stick to your Journey,
Kat Kresic –Head Honcho at MMD
P.S. Want to give MMD an awesome Google review that reflects the kind of slow service we’re proud to provide? Just go here and click “Write a Review” to submit one!
Social Love – people/companies who inspired this blog.
http://clairvoyantcopywriting.com/
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