Recently I was reminded of an important lesson in managing client relationships: when problems occur or mistakes are made, it’s not what happened that matters, it’s how you fix it. I experienced a highly frustrating problem with what I have taken to call my new "dumb" smart phone. After hours spent on the phone with technical support, frantic trips to the store where I bought it, and many stifled moments of aggression towards an inanimate object you’d think I’d cancel my contract and move on. Instead I have switched penalty-free to a different type of unit (love my Palm Treo 755p), I am singing the praises of the helpful staff who held my hand along the way and I would not hesitate to recommend the service provider to others.

You may begin to wonder what this has to do with donor relations and internal communications. It has everything to do with it. The point of my anecdote is that memory of detail may be short, but you will always remember how someone made you feel. Here’s what was done right:

• I was not talked down to
• Each person I spoke to actively listened and responded like a real person, as opposed to someone reading a script out of a manual
• I did not have to repeat my tale of woe every time I was passed to someone else
• My calls were returned promptly
• I was appreciated and thanked for my patronage, over and over
• I felt each person I spoke to sincerely cared about resolving my problem and wanted to help me get the most out of my service

If you find yourself in a situation where you have made a mistake with a donor, colleague or staff member, move quickly to resolving the problem without belaboring the issue. Admitting the mistake is the first, but not the only step. Most reasonable people accept mistakes occur, after all, we’re only human. The important thing is listening, acknowledging and addressing the root of the problem. If you can sincerely respond, this will be remembered long after the nitty gritty of the problem is forgotten.