I learned many things from my mother, Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, who founded our produce company in 1962. But this is the single piece of advice I reference more often than anything else.
When faced with an obstacle, she would say “It never hurts to ask.”
And frankly, I’ve learned more often than not, that if you ask, nicely and honestly, you will likely get what you are looking for. Let me share a recent example that you can probably relate to.
About a month ago, we ordered new ink cartridges for our printer from Amazon. It took a few weeks to find the time to take out the old cartridges and replace them, and guess what – the new cartridges were not compatible with the printer! So frustrating.
Then I had to find the time to go onto our Amazon account and I learned that there was only a 30-day window to return the cartridges and I was two days late. I think this happens to many people – you get busy and things get delayed.
Most people would have said: “It is pointless to call Amazon and try to talk your way into them bending the deadline.” But the order was almost $500, so it was worth a try.
I said to myself, “It never hurts to ask.” So, on Sunday morning, I went on the Amazon website and requested a call back from a human customer service rep. Honestly, my expectations were not high.
But, within 10 minutes, a customer service rep called me back. I explained the situation about the cartridges being faulty and that I admitted that I was two days late in trying to process the return. **I have found that by being honest up front, I increase my chances of getting what I want.
I was put on hold for less than a minute while he “called the vendor” and got back on the line and told me he was able to process the return and I would have a credit of almost $500 on my credit card. It was amazing how my mom’s technique worked.
I have used this technique so many times, I cannot even count.
- When clients have a deadline for a project or a proposal, instead of assuming they have no flexibility, I have called clients many times with an honest reason for an extension and cannot recall ever being denied. “It never hurts to ask.”
- I was doing an interview for a glossy magazine a few years ago and at the beginning of the interview, I asked the editor if this was just a regular story or would it be a COVER story? He told him it depended on how good the interview was. I let him know I would love for it to be a cover story. You can guess what happened – I ended up on the cover of the magazine! “It never hurts to ask.”
- I took my car in for service a few months ago and the dealer provided me with a loaner car. I completely forgot to fill the gas tank up before I returned the loaner, so the dealer charged me a ridiculous amount of money ($10 per gallon) for the replacement fuel. Because I have a great rapport with my service guy at the dealer, I was able to call him up and explain that I was charged a ridiculous amount of money to fill the tank, and reminded him what a long time, loyal customer I am of the dealer (and of him). He went to bat for me and spoke to his supervisor, who gave me a 50% discount on the fuel fee. “It never hurts to ask.”
So, next time when you are faced with an obstacle or a challenge, instead of accepting it at face value, say to yourself, “it never hurts to ask.” You may be pleasantly surprised at the results you get.
Onward and upward,
Executive Coaching and Consulting for business CEOs, Owners and Presidents
If you are looking to grow your business or amplify your personal leadership skills, I would love to have a conversation with you. You can email me at [email protected] for a no obligation conversation.
