Recreational Whinge: Recently I needed to have an award created for a special event and I had researched quite a bit online to find the right type of crystal award instead of a plastic or plain glass one.  I actually spent hours researching the product, but unfortunately I didn’t spend much time researching the company I would order through.  The product was more important to me at the time.

Unfortunately, the product I wanted was being manufactured and sold by a company I would soon find out had no idea how to provide award-winning service!

I won’t go into all of the details here as that’s not truly important, but I will provide just a few of the lowlights:

I had to chase them up on every single item as I would still waiting to hear back on the initial proof of concept if I hadn’t.
The product I received was not exactly the product that I ordered and it was different than the proof they sent and I approved.
They omitted important information about the design specifications that I should have known up front.
There was no follow-up call or email after delivery to check if I was satisfied with the final product.

The very first time I had to make contact with them to check in and ask about the silence I was experiencing, I didn’t even get an apology.  I was willing to let that one go as everyone is entitled to one mistake as I see it, as long as they learn from it.

But they’re not off the hook for all of the other calls and emails I had to do to check in.  Completely unacceptable.

And I purposefully didn’t contact them after receiving the product to complain because I wanted to see if they would contact me for a customer satisfaction check.  That call or email I expected never came.

The Positive Spin: The award sits on my desk even though it’s not what I ordered.  I’ve kept it because it’s a reminder of a number of things.

I need to explain something here though because you’re probably wondering why I ordered a trophy for myself in the first place, right?

I ordered myself a “Lifetime Achievement” award as a physical source of inspiration for me about not only the work I do but also my attitude in life.

The award, crafted correctly or not, reminds me of my commitment to myself, my business partners and clients and my industry.

Yes, I’ve received other awards from other organisations that also mean the world to me, but my own Lifetime Achievement award is something personal that keeps me focused on what I believe I’m capabale of and the quality of my efforts that I’m committed to.  The other awards I receive are external validation that my own focus has delivered results that mean something to others.

These various awards sitting side by side make a perfect compliment to how I view my life, and the award I have given myself sits in the middle of the bunch – centre stage, if you will.

So the positive spin I take on the debacle with the trophy company is that my award reminds me of the High Ideals service I always provide, and the fact that there are flaws in the design and my experience was NOT High Ideals quality, then the award reminds me the consequences of poor service and ensures I don’t stray from the quality path I’m committed to.