ASK CHERI S HILL

Every problem I have ever experienced in growing a business revolves around people. More specifically the issue of loyalty or aptly put, a lack of it. Those experiences were the ones that caused me the most pain (sometimes I was deeply hurt), frustration, sadness and a sense of loss. It zaps your energy and forces you to seriously question your faith in people and your ability to choose the right individuals in which to build a mutually beneficial relationship.

On the flip side, looking back over the years, there are still many people I can count on for support, those who believe in building a strong relationship that encourages open and honest communication. Why is that important? The journey of success in my opinion, is inclusive not exclusive. The people you love (family, friends, business associates, clients, vendors, strategic alliances, joint venture and referral partners) are in your life because they’re integral to your goals and dreams. You support each other through the good times and definitely need to stick together when times get rough. You share a common bond. You help each other. You look out for each other. You tell each other the truth.

Trust spawns loyalty. When you lose trust (faith) in someone it creates bad feelings. Bad feelings create negative energy. Negative energy is unproductive. However, it is in our nature to express those bad feelings, to tell the world about our horrible experience with that person or business. This of course, causes a swirl of resentment (that often, we feel like we bare alone) because we hope with all of our might that someday their bad Karma will catch up with them. And it will….. Most of us believe that you can’t claw and scratch your way to the top casting aside those who have become unnecessary without leaving a nasty scar.

The difference is your attitude and how quickly you choose to put the negative thoughts and emotions behind. You have to look at every unpleasant encounter as a lesson and focus on what was gained or learned from that experience?

I have also figured out that it takes 20 years to become an overnight success! And of course, this is directly attributed to who is in your life. Do you believe in them and in return, do they believe in you? I have come to realize just how important it is to spend time with someone before committing to any type of business relationship. This “rule” was obviously learned the hard way. I suggest you do not entertain or even enter into any type of working relationship with someone until you meet them face to face and spend time getting to know them. Most of us know in our gut within an hour if this is a person (we do business with people not companies) that you can build a lasting relationship. Someone that you would without hesitation, refer them business; someone you truly appreciate because of their knowledge, integrity and ability to help and serve others; someone you will be proud to call a friend. You might think that’s hard, but really it’s not. You have to do your due diligence. If it means web conferencing, using Skype, Googling their name on the internet, checking out their social networking sites, meeting them at a location half-way, or asking for references, DO IT! By taking the time now, you will have a much better chance of avoiding future “surprises”, heartache and grief.

I encourage you to look beyond the immediate and visualize this person in your life 2, 5, 10, 30 years from now. Are you willing to give them your unswerving allegiance? Are you willing to put in the time and energy necessary to work on this relationship? Do you have their best interest at heart? Would you invite them home to meet your family? If the answer is yes to all of those questions, then I believe you have found a very important key to personal and business success: Good people > good relationships.

By working together through a philosophy of cooperation, collaboration and unselfish contribution it creates a flow of abundant energy that each of us gets to enjoy. How much more fun and rewarding would it be if everyone in your circle of influence was able to achieve their own definition of personal, financial, and spiritual freedom simply because we stood shoulder to shoulder, hand-in-hand with those wonderful, caring people we love? There is an absolute truth about strength in numbers that if utilized, is very powerful and very exciting!

If you’re running the 100-yard dash alone, think about putting yourself on a relay team instead. That way, more of you get to cross the finish line and more of you get to win!

I just called their 800# number today to cancel my alarm subscription because my 80 year old Grandmother, who lives with us gets up in the middle of the night to let out her dog. Grandma would certainly struggle with turning the alarm off and on. The renewal date on the agreement is May 29, 2009. I was informed that the agreement automatically renewed for another year and that there was no way that I could cancel it because I did not write in 30 days prior to the renewal date and also because their company offers ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS. The woman on the phone even stated that if you are one day late with writing in, you are automatically renewed for a year - because once again, there are ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS! The truth is that SAI - Security Associates International, Inc. knows that most people will have no idea when their expiration date is up - specifically 30 days in advance - because they just won’t.

I find their policy egregious. I was not requesting cancellation after the date, but before. The fact that this company automatically renewed it without any notification or heads up to me the consumer (no notice in the mail - no email reminder - no phone call), is an excellent example of a complete and total disregard of the needs of their customer. The excuse on the phone was that I was supposed to read my contract - I was supposed to write in to cancel within 30 days -not 29 days in advance, because I signed that agreement 3 years ago!

Bottom line, a simple email reminder or notice in the mail stating that the contract was about to expire from SAI would have given me the choice to continue or to cancel. But to insist that it is only my responsibility to know when my 3 years is up is quite frankly, just bad business. My perception of their company went from being a service provider to one that they are in the business of ripping people off. What’s in it for SAI (shhh… Don’t tell the customer their contract is about to expire – just keep it a secret so we can automatically renew and collect for another year!) That’s horrible, unnecessary, frustrating, and quite frankly, really pisses me off!

So my “policy” is that when I experience horrible customer service or a company that doesn’t play well with others, I have to share that information with the world. My personal philosophy is that business is about collaboration, cooperation and being flexible. Treating people with respect and making sure everyone is happy in the end.

Apparantly, that concept has escaped the leadership of SAI.