So my buddy is in a bit of a pickle. During a hectic day last week, he was invited to, and accepted, a business dinner with a big client. This week was got busier and busier and his Outlook pop-up reminder, for some reason (he probably goofed when he programmed it), didn’t go off until fifteen minutes before the dinner (by then he was nowhere near the computer).
He’s never made a boneheaded mistake like this before, so he has no clue what to do about it. He asked me, but I’ve never made a mistake like that either. So I dunno. What’s the protocol for making amends after standing up a client?
At least his associate attended so the client wasn’t completely stood up, but he’ll be facing the firing squad at work tomorrow.
When I was in business, I noticed that in situations where somebody or some company made an error, respect was retained when the responsible party apologized and owned up to it. It was when the responsible party tried to make excuses and/or tried to weasel out of it somehow, that questions started to be asked as to whether anybody would really want to do business with this person/organization.
So far that’s his plan. He’s not the kind of guy who would make up an excuse. I’ve recommended apologizing profusely, but not offering any explanation because “I just forgot” won’t go over well with someone who really should be an unforgettable priority.
But what he wants to know is how does he make it square with the client? The good news is that there were plenty of people in attendance, so it’s not like my friend’s colleague was the only one sitting there with the client and thinking: “I’ll kill him… I’ll kill him… I’ll kill him…”
The bad news is, it was a really expensive restaurant and the client’s whole team was there. :smack:
So I’m thinking, my buddy Dave is going to have to suck it up, dig deep into his wallet and take the client and his spouse to someplace equally swanky. ETA: Actually, that might be a good idea. His girlfriend is one of those super charming people who can schmooze like no other. Would a more personal dinner be okay? The client and his spouse and Dave and his girlfriend?
Poor bastard. He called me in a total panic. As far as I’ve known him, he’s never stood up anyone. What’s worse is that he honestly, truly just forgot, it’s not like he double-booked himself or anything. He doesn’t have any reason for not going. He just had three nasty work days in a row and was glad to “have a night at home to relax”. :smack: Now he’s utterly beside himself and totally stressed out.