Compassion

I’ve been a little quiet over the last few weeks and I thought it time for an update. Stuart and I took the children to World Internet Summit from March 12 to March 15 – a very busy time and tiring.  We all arrived back home very enthused about what we can be doing to generate an online business and set out our plans.

Then, on Tuesday the 17th of March, my Mum suffered a heart attack – at the heart specialist.  I still wonder which Angel was looking over her shoulder that day – the staff were wonderful, called my Dad to come in and arranged to get her admitted to hospital.  It took most of Tuesday to stabilize her.  In the following days, tests were conducted which revealed the stent that was in place had kept the arteries opened but her Aortic valve was damaged.  Open heart surgery was scheduled, and conducted, on March 26.

That operation took about 6 hours, and I spent a number of hours in ICU with my Dad as Mum ‘came out’ of the anesthetic.  While there is still a way to go for Mum’s full recovery, she is improving gradually although we’ve experienced some setbacks along the way.  After today, her specialist decided that she will need a pacemaker to keep her heart beating correctly.

For me, that not only means regular visits to the hospital – that to me is a major part of being part of a family, it also means helping out with the Electrical business Stuart and my Dad run.  Things have become a little tighter time wise – but I’m happy to do it.

All that said, I was very dismayed today when I read an email exchange through the one of our enquiry addresses.  Through all of this, an enquiry was received from a customer asking about availability and delivery times.  This email was received with a number of other URGENT service calls, between visits to the hospital for myself, Stuart and my Dad.  Dad replied to the email 5 days later letting the customer advising of the anticipated delivery times.  The response we received was quite pointed about the delay and how this was “already 4 days behind”.  Given this reply, Dad adviced the customer that his wife had had a heart attack, which took priority, and that they would be better finding another supplier.  Here is the response we received, no salutation, no signoff, this is the entire text of the reply:

No worries – I’d rather order from a more reliable source.
Making up stories doesn’t help your diminishing reputation either.

Well, Ms or Mr Crazy K9’s (no, you won’t get the benefit of a link from me) let me correct your misconception.  My mother has indeed suffered attack – my father has no need to “make up stories” – and she has undergone open heart surgery to replace an aortic valve.    Personally, I think you attitude stinks – and I hope that when you are faced with a similar situation, that you receive more compassion and understanding than what you’ve shown today.

In this day and age, what does a little compassion cost anyone?  We understand that people have business to do, that is one reason why we recommended this client find another supplier.  We could have taken the order and then taken our time to deliver it – but we decided not to.  One of our guiding philosophies is “Family comes first, business second” – if we don’t think we can deliver within a customers expectations, we will decline the business.

On a more positive note, I MUST thank my customers and friends and the AES customers and suppliers who have shown such marvelous support over the last few weeks.  I am always so grateful when I receive an email, SMS or phone call checking up to see how things are… it reminds me that this really is a world of people – not a world of business.  So THANK YOU!