COVID Is Not An Excuse!
Founder + Partner + CEO
Published Thursday, August 6, 2020
We can all admit this COVID situation sucks. However, it should never be an excuse to underperform. Daily, I am receiving emails and messages on why orders are delaying, why wait times are longer than usual, why missed phone calls are not returning, why proposals are not prepared and sent... and on, and on, and on. For the past three months, every company in the country has been navigating workplace COVID changes. By now, limitations should be figured out, and COVID is not to blame if they are not!!!
I don’t want this to read as a complaint but rather a call to action. If we are going to reboot this economy, we have to find solutions to problems caused by COVID and stop letting the situation be the reason why jobs are not completed in time.
I’m on a mission to change the COVID excuse mindset, and I debate whether using COVID as a reason is legitimate. COVID has decreased consumer demand, so technically we should have MORE time to do things, not less. We should have MORE time to manage accounts, write proposals, return calls, and produce goods. COVID is not preventing anyone from doing these things – it’s making it easier! Instead, we should be hearing reasons for why customer service is improving.
To change the mindset, at ScreenBroidery, we are doing something different, and I hope you will follow our lead. For every apparel, merchandise, PPE, sign, graphic, etc. product we ship out on or ahead of schedule, we send the message to our customer: “Due to COVID and our commitment to you, we are shipping your order on time or ahead of schedule. Thank you for your business and support!”
I learned, when times are tough, then you work harder and smarter. Our current environment is the perfect time to exercise this philosophy. My advice; stop making excuses for shortcomings and inability to get the job done. COVID is not preventing anyone from living up to their expectations; they are limiting themselves. As entrepreneurs, we HAVE to find a way to get the job done. And as consumers/customers, we must stop letting companies off the hook for giving excuses! When a company’s internet service goes out, do we blindly accept that our orders miss a deadline? Absolutely not! I expect the company to figure out a way around their internal and external problems. COVID is no different; it is just a problem that needs to be solved. It’s my opinion that it is not fair to make my customer suffer for my inability to navigate a situation or solve my problems.
ScreenBroidery has pledged never to use COVID as an excuse and have yet to let it prevent us from fulfilling our mission – in fact, we work to speed up production and response times. Even when a company within our supply chain slows or delays production and shipments, we are finding solutions around their shortfalls. If our company can do it, then we all can. Let’s change the COVID excuse mindset.