P1: OTA/XYZ P2: ABC
c21 JWBT144/Gordon September 16, 2009 14:46 Printer Name: Courier Westford, Westford, MA
TRUMP UNIVERSITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP 101
maintenance crew. By 5 am, the floor treatment was completed and was func-
tioning properly. There was no slipperiness, and static protection was within
specifications.
A little detective work cleared up the cause of the problem. The customer’s
floor maintenance crew had not followed our application instructions. They
diluted the solution improperly and then used a static-generating topcoat
of their own. Both production lots of our product had actually functioned
properly.
My customer was delighted that his supplier’s CEO would respond per-
sonally and immediately and work through the night to solve his problem.
I offered to replace the previous order at no charge, even though it was not
out of specification. He would not accept my offer. I went a step further; I
scheduled our product development specialist to train his floor maintenance
people until they really understood the procedure. The next day, I asked
for a redesign of our labels to more clearly and boldly spell out the correct
application procedures. The irate customer was converted to a real supporter
of our company and began to buy most of his static-control products from us.
Ultimately, he became our biggest account.
The problem he experienced gave our company an opportunity to stand
taller. More significant, this episode communicated an important message to
everyone in our company. Everyone understood ...