This week I received an email from a MM reader, Darren about a cheeky request he received and I want to see how you feel about it and what you would have done if it happened to you.
Darren stated he received an email from a telecommunications consultant that been helping him switch to his product/service. In the email the service provider advised he had activated Darren’s global roaming and it was now available for use.
However he closed the email with the following request:
Can I be really cheeky?……. and ask you if you’ve got any companies that you might be able to refer me to?
Darren stated the provider has been good with the service he provides and he does go “above & beyond”.
I asked Darren how the request made him feel and he said his immediate response was it was a cheeky request indeed.
Darren felt that the request had put him on the spot, cheeky or not, and he felt pressure to provide a referral – which he didn’t want to do.
We understand the pressure Darren was experiencing was coming from the pull of Reciprocity. The service provider had done a good good job and gone “above and beyond” for Darren and now he was looking to collect by asking for a favour in return.
The question is was this an equitable exchange? Darren was paying the telecommunications advisor for his service after all and going above and beyond is perhaps his unique differentiator in the marketplace.
The telling part of the story for me was Darren said he waited almost two days to respond due to the discomfort. During the two days he mulled over what to say before eventually replying with a non-committal statement saying,
Trying to think of any organisations where they have a need for 5+ mobiles etc – will think to mention you to them as I interact with them to see if they are receptive to an approach.
Darren told me that he probably won’t follow through with this commitment because of the way the request was made and how it made him feel.
Here is your chance to interact. Tell me how you would have reacted. Was the request okay or not? As Sleuth of Influence what advice would provide the service provider to persuade Darren to provide a referral without making him feel uncomfortable or obligated.
I am really looking forward to your views on this one – I have plenty I will share as we get going.
·
The post Cheeky Request – What Would You Have Done? appeared first on Social Influence Consulting Group.