tornado thoughts

Learn the most through situations

Today, one of my friends was complaining today that it's monday blues through MSN. To me, it's not because I feel it's a day where I can learn new stuff in my workplace. For that comment, I was called a workhaholic?! But anyway, I've been a sales executive for 3months and I can say that the whole working experience is an enriching and fruitful one. Though there were times when I met customers who are demanding, customers who pick on your loopholes, those were the times where I learnt the most out of it.

Today I met another situation which left a deep impression in my mind. To summarize it, a customer came and showed me a sample. Not knowing what it was, I copied the details (eg, part number) down and went to ask my supplier. I got a quote from my supplier but I did not know that the part number that I gave was not complete. I only gave half the description correct. A 3 position selector switch with 2 normally open and 2 normally close contacts. I only said it's 1 normally open and 1 normally close. The customer also didn't look at the catalogue I faxed over and he felt that what I quoted was exactly the same as the sample he brought. In the end, I supplied 10 sets of half complete switches. When the customer realised that it was different from the sample he had, he called me up and asked for what action I was going to take.

I made the decision to go down personally and explain the situation. When I reached there, I was expecting a scolding from him but I was amazed by his attitude. He brought me to his room and asked for the explaination. I told him that he need to purchase another contact block to complete the set. Knowing that his set is correct (just that half complete), he dispatched his colleague to deliver the items to the shipyard first. He said that he can just explain to his customer that if really need to, can just unscrew 5 contact blocks and put it to other 5 to have 5 complete sets first. The balance will come in a day's time. After settling that, he then said that I screwed up this order. However, he knew that I just joined the company not long thus he talked to me in a nice manner. In fact, he was impressed at my attitude of coming down personally to find out what's wrong. He even said he was taking note of how long I took to go over to his office coz he called me 15min after the phone call and I said that I was just a road bend away. Through the whole conversation he even taught me on little personal skills that would differentiate a normal sales executive to one whom people will be impressed with. After I went to my supplier to take the balance 10 contact blocks and brought it to him, he didn't try to "eat" me up. He asked for the cost of the contact blocks (S$30bucks each) which I said truthfully. I said bo pian then I have to "tahan" it myself. Surprisingly, he said no. Even though I made the mistake, he don't want me to suffer deficit out of this transaction. In the end, we settled at cost. I was so happy deep inside coz I learnt a good lesson today which will definitely make me pay more cautious to details in the future.

I just want to thank God that my workplace is not a battleground, and He puts people to help me put out fire when I created innocently. However, He also knows when to throw in situations when I have to tackle it on my own and He makes sure that I can definitely handle it. I am made stronger in character and wisdom and I know that through it all, God is there looking after me. God is good all the time! =)

posted by tornado @ 5:18 AM