We’ve all done it, in some form or fashion. We all hate it when it’s done to us, but almost always, it’s something out of our control when we are the ones doing it. Breaking promises or falling short of a verbal commitment is an action which impacts trust and credibility, especially in a business setting. However, it is a sin we’ve all been guilty of at some time. Perhaps it’s because we say something that the other person is excited about, but we believe it’s not that important. Have you ever told your child or someone else, “why don’t we go to the beach this weekend” or “let’s try and see a movie on Friday night”, but you neglected to remember or plan for it? Did they remember? Did you feel bad when you realized you forgot or maybe they even pointed it out to you? Did they forgive you or stop trusting you? Unless it was a consistent theme in your daily world, I’m sure it was soon forgotten.

When it comes to promises or commitments in the business world, however, it’s harder to walk away from the negative feelings and it often leads to a lack of trust. When many people hear the world “sales person,” they often think of someone who over commits; therefore, there’s already a negative pre-conception. Some people in a sales role will say yes at all cost and let the operations or support group figure out how to get it done. When those promises aren’t achievable, it makes everyone look bad, but still those sales people live to fight another day. Personally, I’ve never liked that approach and I think sales should complement and support operations, not put them in a losing position. Over promising and under delivering is a true customer service disgrace, though it isn’t always avoidable or intentional. There are three times when it bothers me most. 1. When I feel the sales person is saying yes to get the sale at all costs. 2. When the sales rep was lazy with his/her approach. 3. When it wastes my time or my money. Sometimes, it can be a combination of any of these 3. At that point, it’s hard to forget and even harder to forgive.

Recently, my wife and I were looking at mid-sized SUVs. I have a car with a lot of miles and we wanted a vehicle with more room. We narrowed it down to a couple of models we felt were a fit for our needs and budget. One sales person we were working with offered to let us take a vehicle home overnight. My car needed an oil change, so a few days later I arranged to drop it off at the dealer and I would take the other car home to drive for an evening. After my car was already off getting washed and heading for service, the sales rep told me that his manager didn’t want to let us take the car. They had been selling a lot of this model and didn’t want to put miles on any of them. Not only had they wasted my time, but he was now costing me money (the oil change was definitely at a premium). The sales person was apologetic, but he did nothing to resolve the issue, until I explained how this was poor customer service and he was losing any chance at my business. He finally went and talked with his manager (after making me stand around for 30 minutes). Eventually, they let us take the vehicle home; however, it tainted my view of this sales person and of the company he represented. In the end, they lost the sale.

If you tell a prospect or customer you’re going to do something, you better do it. If you didn’t have the right to make that promise, then you should expect that it will reflect negatively upon you. Integrity is all you have as a professional, at the end of the day. I’ve always tried to sell and do business with integrity. I’m also the last to forgive or accept buying from someone who I feel does not share that philosophy. Are you doing business with integrity? If not, don’t expect forgiveness or loyalty.

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