How a 100% total satisfaction guarantee cost a company thousands

If you’ve stumbled upon this page read here first. If you’ve hopped over here after reading my newsletter, I’ll cut to the chase.

I offer a 100% total satisfaction guarantee.  Not long after I offered this promise I received an enquiry from the MD of a company who wanted me to provide a one-day training programme for his staff.

He asked me about my 100% total satisfaction guarantee not once twice or three times, but probably a dozen times.

I should have seen the massive red flashing light there and then – but I was naïve.

At the end of the training the MD thanked me, then asked his team to fill in a short feedback form.

Just as I was about to leave the venue he asked for a quiet word.

‘Michael, I’m sorry to say the feedback is terrible.  Most people scored you less than 5 out of 10. I’m going to have to invoke your guarantee and ask you for a refund’.

The alarm bells were ringing, but if you offer a guarantee you must honour it.

Within 24 hours the money was back in his account.  Then we received the first email…

Dear Michael

Yesterday I resigned.  I couldn’t live with the thought that after such a brilliant training my boss asked me to score you under 5 on the feedback card.

 

This was the first of 3 emails saying pretty much the same thing.

It turns out 6 people (we know of), including 2 Managers and one Director, resigned because their boss asked them to cheat and score low so he could recoup their fee.

Karma.

If you offer a 100% total satisfaction guarantee you may get the odd chancer. But if you really believe in what you do, the reward far outweighs the risk.