Mom was Right…Honesty is the Best Solution
My wife and I tried to buy a washing machine this week. Kind of an interesting way to start a blog about nonprofit work. But what we were reminded of in the journey is that it’s all about credibility, honesty, and integrity. And that is at the heart of all nonprofits.
The basic story goes that the washer went out, the repair would be more expensive than purchasing a new washer, my wife and I went to a big store here in Omaha, and we were told that because our washer and dryer are stacked, unless we bought the entire set, they would not stack it, take the old washer way, put in the new washer, and re-stack it. For the most part it was because of liability. The salesman could not have been nicer, more pleasant, or more honest. In the end, we left to consider our options.
My wife made a few calls and found another large store, a national chain, and they indicated they would do it. We immediately went to the store, showed them pictures, made sure there were notes in the record, I asked a million questions about how and when this will be done, double checked everything, all the way down to the dotting of the “i’s” and crossing of the “t’s.” They promised the new washer could be set up with the old dryer.
You can guess what happens next. A week later, the washer was delivered. The delivery team, who would hook it up, took one look and said, “we can’t do that.” In the end, after some terse conversations, they took the new washer away and it was returned. The bottom line was that they didn’t do what they said they would do.
This experience was a reminder that honor and honesty are so important. While we didn’t get the answer we wanted from the first store, my wife and I both commented that we’re going back there to buy whatever we need. They were honest even though they told us what we didn’t want to hear. In the end, our time was completely wasted and our frustration from the other national chain is at a heightened level.
When there’s difficult news or information to share, do you do it directly? Do I? In the end, relationships are based on trust and communication. We earn more respect when we’re honest and upfront. It’s a good lesson for all of us to remember.
