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Defusing Poor Service Complaint
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John Westerman was unhappy about the level of service he had received from us, and I re-assured him in a brief e-mail that he would be taken care of. Sometimes a brief note is best, where lengthy replies can sound defensive or negative. Penelope Westbury was our Administrative Assistant. A key to success in this case was Penelope's follow-up call to John. Below are John's e-mail to me, and then my reply.


From: JWesterman@gmail.com [mailto:JWesterman@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, October 13, 20— 6:36 AM
To: wsfrank@careerlab.com
Subject: Re: Seminar / Retained Search Mailing

Bill,

I did talk to Penelope on Wednesday morning, but I have no idea what was done and no confirmation as of Friday morning.  She said on Wednesday she had to talk to you. I'm disappointed that we will lose a week in completing a very simple mailing.  Also I still have no knowledge what happened re: Denver recruiters.

I'll be there Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m., and I want to discuss what kind/level of administrative support you will provide going forward, per CareerLab's agreement with my former employer. 

While the process has been relatively casual to date, we need to gear up for an aggressive campaign now, before stalling during the holiday season.  To be proactive and effective this will require additional support from your organization.

John

From: William S. Frank [wsfrank@careerlab.com]
Sent: Friday, October 13, 20— 6:56 AM
To: JWesterman@gmail.com
Cc: Penelope Westbury
Subject: RE: Seminar / Retained Search Mailing

John,

I have no problem gearing up to meet your administrative needs.  I've asked Penelope to call you today.  I'm off to Chicago. When we meet Tuesday we'll put a plan in place.

:Bill

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William S. Frank, M.A., President/CEO
25 Reasons I love consulting.
by William S. Frank
  1. Brand. You are your own brand, and you can define it any way you want. For many years, I provided outplacement to the ex-employees of Schlumberger, the world's largest oilfield service corporation. When departing employees left the company, they didn't request outplacement in their severance package. They said, "I want Bill Frank."
  2. Demand. The world will always be full of terrible problems that need solving.
  3. White Hat. I can be a helper and get paid for it.
  4. Pay. I can be paid to do things I'd gladly do for nothing.
  5. Variety. Every day is different.
  6. Happiness. At this stage of my career, I only work for people I respect and care about. If a client micromanages me or is otherwise no fun, I complete the assignment and replace them.
  7. Talent. I'm using 110% of my talents and stretching myself to the max.
  8. Change. I can change my focus any day I want. If you're a McDonald's franchisee, you don't say, "Hey, I've got this great idea for a meatball sandwich—let's try it out today." In consulting you can adjust your focus hour-by-hour, as long as your clients still understand and appreciate what you do.
  9. Income. No one else would pay me as much as I pay myself.
  10. FUN. I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing.
  11. Retirement. I can write and consult as long as I am physically and mentally capable. Peter Drucker worked into his 90s, and when asked which book was his best, he said: "My next one."
  12. Job Security. Although clients come and go, no one can come into my office and say, "Pack up your stuff . . . You don't work here anymore." In 29 years, I've only had one employer: ME.
  13. Travel. I don't have to travel unless I decide to. I travel if it's both FUN and profitable—or at least FUN.
  14. Commute. I live five minutes from my office, a corner office in an upscale six-story tower. In winter, I leave a heated garage at home and drive to an underground heated garage at work. There's seldom time to hear even one song on the radio.
  15. Vacation. Consulting is more fun than vacation (except on Wailea Beach in Maui).
  16. Friends. I have developed hundreds of close acquaintances and several lifetime friends.
  17. Time. I can work as much or as little as I like: four-hour days or 18-hour days. (Of course, my income will reflect that.)
  18. Employees. I can work with employees, subcontractors, partners, or alone—I've done it all.
  19. Passive Income. I've developed several products that provide "mailbox money." I earn while I'm sleeping.
  20. Ethics. I've never had to violate my values or personal code of ethics. I've never had to lie, purposely deceive or harm others, or promise things I can't deliver. I go to bed with a clear conscience. That doesn't mean there's never any conflict. But the conflict is conducted according to generally accepted business practices.
  21. Virtual. My career is fairly portable. With the Internet, e-mail, cell phone, and FedEx, I can work nationally, even internationally from my office—or anywhere in the world.
  22. Purpose. I make a difference in peoples' lives every day. I see it in their faces, hear it in their voices, and read it in their thank-yous.
  23. Experience. Every painful or joyful life experience makes me a better consultant. So does every person I meet or book I read. Grey hair can be good in consulting.
  24. Structure. I have to work very hard, and the clients expect superb results—but I get to structure my days, weeks, months, and years.
  25. Boss. Most of the time, I love my boss.
As I was posting these letters online, I realized I want to communicate my love for consulting. It's just a great business. The single letters, taken together, may create a picture of enjoyment, but in a burst of creativity I listed some of the reasons consulting is such a good fit for me—and perhaps for you, too. They are not prioritized; this is just how they came out.