Building Bridges

It occurred to me today, as I worked on a couple of new dispute cases, that there are so many different ways to voice a problem - and to respond.

You can go straight for the jugular, leaving the other party nowhere to go except to back down (and feel foolish/abused/weak) or to fight fire with fire. Result? Full scale war, bad feeling on both sides, potentially huge legal bills or stalemate.

Alternatively, you can open by stating your case in a friendly manner, making it clear that the other party, being the reasonable individual they are, will no doubt have come to similar conclusions themselves, and be keen to sort things out. Result? Because most of us like to be perceived as reasonable people (the 'decent bloke' approach), the tendency is that, if approached in an appropriate way, we'll live up to this description of ourselves. Of course, it doesn't always work - but it's often a good way to start.

I had personal experience of this last week, over (of all things!) a garden shed. I'd ordered the shed in B&Q without the chance to inspect it close-up (they have a policy of displaying them on a 20-foot high display frame). When it came to assembly, the desired shed was not quite what I had anticipated. Rather than just (!) fixing together four panels, adding a roof and floor and screwing on the doors, full-scale carpentry was required. And the wood was wonky, to boot. So what to do?

As a seasoned resolver of disputes, I started by jotting down a list of my complaints, keeping these to the facts of why what was delivered did not meet my reasonable expectations, and what I would like to have done about it. Then I called B&Q and spoke to a customer service representative. We had a pleasant conversation, after which she said she would leave a message for the store manager. I expected to hear nothing, but later that day I received a call back (yes, that's right - the very same day!!). This gentleman, Jason, listened carefully to my issues. He asked politely what I would like to do. When I requested that he arrange collection of the shed and refund my card, he agreed. Then he arranged for collection to take place. Now the shed is gone, and I have ordered a new one - not from B&Q this time, but only because I've realised that in the case of garden sheds, as with all things, you get what you pay for. The new one is twice the price of the B&Q shed, but is due to arrive and be fully assembled this week.

Would I buy again from B&Q? Happily. Jason was charming and understanding. He addressed my complaint fairly and resolved it swiftly. Yes, he lost this sale - but has left me with a more positive impression of B&Q than I started with. Not bad, really, considering the quality of the shed! Perhaps I would have received the same polite and friendly treatment if I had gone in all guns blazing. But it wouldn't have been such a positive experience. Well done, B&Q.