In the fifth installment of her six-part series about how her experience waiting tables has served her well throughout her career, Andrea Hansen talks about how accountability and diplomacy can often turn a bad situation around and leave customers and clients satisfied with their experience.

Hansen’s story stems from one of her first jobs working at Okoboji Grill more than 20 years ago.

When you think of your time in restaurants and how you’ve been served, the most memorable experiences are the either the worst ones or the best ones. A good server will attempt to create a good rapport with you, perhaps learning something about you or your plans for the evening and working it into the exchanges you have throughout the meal.

Up until now, they’ve been knowledgeable about the menu, suggested things for you to try, cleared dishes, made sure your glass was never empty, and presented you with the check in a timely manner. Assuming you also enjoyed the food you chose and it was prepared correctly, you will leave feeling positive. Sometimes, the food doesn’t even matter.

I recently was in the Dominican Republic, and one of the waiters at the resort was so personable that we literally followed him to whichever restaurant he was working in during our stay and requested him. We felt like we’d made a new friend, and he made everyone he served feel that way. On a trip to Italy 12 years ago, we still talk about two different dining experiences and we don’t remember what we ate because we had so much fun with the people who served us.

But perhaps something in this restaurant scenario went wrong, like the food was delayed or they brought you something you didn’t order. If not handled well, the experience can quickly turn south and leave a bad taste in your mouth (pun intended). This is where diplomacy and accountability enter, and how your server handles obstacles. Mistakes can make or break how you feel when you leave.

In drawing parallels to my career, diplomacy and accountability come in handy in just about every situation.

Here are a few guidelines I suggest when trying to salvage a situation gone awry:

• Be a team player. Do not throw anyone in your company under the bus to an external client. If there are problems internally, work them out internally. “OUR supply department mishandled your package and WE are taking steps to correct the situation.”  

• Communicate. Mistakes get made and sometimes things happen beyond our control. Communicate directly and openly about the facts of the situation. “While we are still before the deadline date, we ran into a quality issue with our contractor, and I wanted to let you know right away about a possible delay.”

• Say you’re sorry. A genuine apology can often defuse a stressful situation and open the path to the most optimal outcome. “I’m sorry I misjudged the timing of the order, and I would like to make it up to you.”

• Take responsibility for your role. After a problem, take a moment to analyze the situation and figure out what YOU could have done differently to avoid it in the future. “Looking back on the situation, I think if I checked into the process sooner I might have seen there were problems developing.”

How has diplomacy and accountability worked for you in tricky situations? Were there times you wish you’d employed these sooner? I know I have!  

Up next: Hansen’s final submission in her series will focus on the importance of giving credit where credit is due.

Related: #1 – Success and waiting tables

#2 – ‘Order taking’ and communicating effectively

#3 – ‘Means to an end’ jobs have value

#4 – Anticipation strengthens reaction

Andrea Hansen is a director of development for UnityPoint Health Foundation in Des Moines and co-founder of Venuefox.com, an event planning website. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and social work from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan. Having returned to Iowa with her husband to raise their family, she enjoys being a part of programs and projects that help make the Des Moines area a great place to live and work.  

CONNECTION POINTS

Connect with Hansen on LinkedIn or via email at andrea@venuefox.com.