Networking isn’t just for sales or to be done outside the walls of a company. I had a lesson in what it can (or can’t) do recently.
At, of all places, my car dealer.
My recently purchased car was due for its first oil change. All was going well until the service manager came to me in the lounge to explain what was happening with the car. He was gracious and then we stumbled upon something.
“Since you only get four oil changes,….” he said.
“Four? That’s not what your sales person told me when I bought the car,” I replied.
It seems that the sales guy promised something that (a) wasn’t policy and (b) they didn’t offer. However, after a discussion with the new- and used-car sales manager (who were both polite, by the way), we came to an understanding that the offer that was understood by me initially (free oil changes for the first two years) would be honored.
Now, I shouldn’t have gone through this at all if only the sales department and service department (and management) had all understood what the offer was. A little intra-company networking and communication would have gone a long way toward having a happy customer remain happy without this bump in the road. Whether it is communicated in formal meetings or stand-up discussions in the hallway, all companies can benefit from having departments and various employees talk to one another and understand the company’s goals and offerings.
I think my dealer will be doing more of this.
Relentless
