Jacquelyn Lynn, Business Writer, Speaker

My Article on Workplace Rumors Featured in Crisis Manager Newsletter

In my last newsletter, Business Tips from Jacquelyn Lynn, I talked about the damage workplace rumors can cause and how to stop them before they start. If you didn’t get that newsletter and you’d like to subscribe, please visit my website at www.jacquelynlynn.com.

 

Crisis management expert Jonathan Bernstein reprinted that piece in his Crisis Manager newsletter. In that same issue, he also provided more details on a story I told you about recently: The lawsuit that Kay Morris-Robertson has filed against Westfield Corporation, charging that the company  harassed her, denied her unpaid leave, and provided false information to police that led to her being handcuffed and held against her will in a psychological detention unit. Click here to see that issue of Crisis Manager.

 

If you don’t subscribe to Crisis Manager, you should. It’s a great resource for anyone in business at any level. Visit www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com to sign up.

When You Have to Tell a Customer No

I was always taught that you never tell a customer no, and if the answer is no, you offer an alternative instead. So if the customer asks, "Does this come in red?" and it doesn't, your answer should be, "It comes in blue and green."

But sometimes the answer is no and there's no getting around it. Here's a way to make that work for you.

If you subscribe to the Flashpoints newsletter (which I produce) or my own e-mail list, you may have noticed that I use Constant Contact to send those publications out. I recently had a question about something I wanted to do with mailing list management. I couldn't find the answer online, so I submitted a help ticket. Within a few hours, I had a personal answer that essentially said, No, we're sorry, our system isn't set up to do that. However, we think it's a great idea, and we're sending it to our product development team to see if it's something we can implement in the future. (Not an exact quote, but that was the gist of it.)

What a great lesson! If a customer asks for something you simply can't provide, don't just say no and let it end there. use the question as a way to improve your products and services -- and let the customer know that's what you're doing.

I was already loyal to Constant Contact, but now I'm telling others about what a great company they are. Do you have customers who might do the same for you if you turn their questions into product improvements?

Kay Morris-Robertson vs. Westfield Corp and Stanley Duncan: Lessons in employee relations

It’s understandable why employers want their workers to leave their personal problems at home, and certainly it would be wonderful if we could turn our feelings on and off as we walk through the office door. But when Kay Morris-Robertson couldn’t do that, she says her employer, Westfield Corporation (also known as Westfield Holdings, part of the Westfield Group ASX:WDC), an international retail property group, harassed her, denied her unpaid leave, and provided false information to police that led to her being handcuffed and held against her will in a psychological detention unit. You won’t be shocked to know that she has sued.

 

Morris-Robertson worked for Westfield Corp. in Los Angeles. She and her 31-year-old husband of six months were sailing off the coast of Southern California when he suffered cardiac arrest and died. Morris-Robertson was ultimately diagnosed with post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and was seeking treatment. But according to her complaint against Westfield, she was never advised of her rights under the Family Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act, was denied the unpaid leave to which she was entitled, and by the actions of company managers, was prevented from receiving treatment by her provider of choice and instead was involuntarily held in a lock-down facility with patients suffering a wide range of mental illnesses.

You can read the entire story athttp://morrisvswestfield.com/

 

The lesson for business owners and managers is this: While indeed you have a business to run, you also have moral and legal obligations to treat employees with respect and compassion. What’s more, it’s just smart business to help good employees through challenging times. When you do, you retain their experience and earn their loyalty. When you don’t, you risk lawsuits such as the one Westfield is facing, negative publicity, and possibly the loss of other valuable staffers.

 

This case bears watching. I’ll keep you posted.