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Ep. 112 Dr. Drama: When the Poo Hits the Fan

by Torie Mathis | Smart AF Show

Dr. Drama: When the Poo Hits the Fan

No matter what you do or how great you plan, things are always going to happen. Whether it’s a mixed-up order, scheduling issues, or Karen is just pissed off again – it’s all going to happen.

In this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean talk about what to do when disaster strikes and how to make changes in your business to meet it head-on. Since craziness is going to happen, you might as well be prepared for it. It’s time to make Karen a happy customer.

▶️️ If you’re ready to optimize your business processes and update your customer service strategies to plan for business disasters push the play button!

Listen or watch the full episode below:

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EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION –

(transcription is auto-generated)

SAF 112

[00:00:00] Torie: Shit is always going to happen. No matter what your business is, no matter how good you plan shit is always going to go wrong.

Hey, what’s up? It’s Torie Mathis, your host, and I am here with the one and only Sean Mathis, Founder of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum

[00:00:25] Sean: Hey what’s going on.

[00:00:26] Torie: You know, I had a doctor’s appointment last week and there were some scheduling issues.

[00:00:31] Sean: It took forever.

[00:00:33] Torie: It took a really long time. I had a 10 o’clock appointment. They said I needed to arrive at 9:30. We were very prompt. I think we were even there before 9:30.

[00:00:42] Sean: Yep.

[00:00:43] Torie: Parked. Good to go in the building signed in before nine 30. I don’t think I actually went back until wherever. 1130. Yeah. Well, I think I went back a little bit before there, but I didn’t even get seen and taken care of until well, after 1130.

And you know, they finally, after people started asking questions and getting very restless, I was texting Sean. In the Tesla watching movies, the patients were revolting. Like they were getting really upset. Everybody had to have an accompanying guest with them to take them out from the appointment due to the type of appointment it was.

And so not only was it their time that was being wasted but whoever this was that they brought with them, their time was being wasted too. And so, you know, somebody finally came out and said and you know, she was very kind of spoken very mousy. And kind of like, I, like, I don’t know if she just didn’t want to go out there and say it, but it finally came, but like, she didn’t know what was going on.

Like, I don’t know why this is happening. I don’t know. I don’t know who just went back. I don’t. And then she finally came out and she like took a couple of names and she finally came out and started giving us a little bit more information. And the information that she gave us was a little crazy. It actually did it, it, I think it did in one way and in another way, it didn’t. So it turned out that whoever does their scheduling will double book and sometimes triple book them for one slot, my guess is people no show.

[00:02:10] Sean: Right.

[00:02:10] Torie: And so there’s probably so many, no shows that you can kind of do a little, a little bookie in there. No airlines sometimes do that.

[00:02:19] Sean: Like they doubled up, you got people that are. Counting on somebody not showing up to try to get that super cheap tickets.

[00:02:27] Torie: So that relieves them from giving the super cheap ticket. So, you know, maybe that’s one of the reasons why they can kind of get away with double booking, but at the same time, When you have that many people there and like people actually show up, there was somebody so like 11 10 45 about is when she actually came out.

And there was a lady in there who her husband had been in there since before eight o’clock and had still not been seen back there. He’d been taken back. So crazy. And, you know, once she came out and explained to these things and let us know, she was like, you know, it’s going to be this much time for you and this much time for you.

And she’s like, Mathis, we’re going to take you back. You know, Ms. Mathis, we’re going to take you back on next. Then everybody was fine. Like, nobody’s happy that things are overbooked. But once she told everybody where they were going to be at and how much more time they were going to be, wait, the revolt stopped.

So I think that in your shit is always going to happen. No matter what your business is, no matter how good you plan shit is always going to go wrong. It’s not going to go, right. You’re always going to have some customer that’s pissed off. You’re always, it’s just, it’s inevitable.

[00:03:38] Sean: It could be that it’s not necessarily that it even goes wrong. But it’s going to piss off your customers. Right? I had to take Riley in for seventh grade shots, scheduled an appointment, went in there right on time. They actually called us back. You had to wait a while right on time. He did his whole weigh in and height and all that kind of stuff. All was good. And I was like, all right, you know, couple Two required shots, vaccinations that you needed for seventh grade.

I’m like, this should be super quick, right? Everything so far, right on time. Then they take us to the room, which is the room that we would eventually get the shots. However, we sat there by ourselves for 40 minutes. Did somebody come in and tell you it was 40 minutes before somebody came in in fine. Right.

[00:04:26] Torie: If they were like, oh my goodness. We’re so sorry. We are so booked because something serious happened. What else? You can tell people whatever, but as long as you let them know, people are going to understand that.

[00:04:37] Sean: And if anything, it would’ve, it would’ve broke up. The fact that I was now counting how long we were left alone in this damn room to finally have somebody come in there to then try to get us to take even more shots to then have her leave.

Then finally somebody comes in to actually administer it. A couple of minutes later, we’re done, but that whole giant gap in the middle did nothing but piss me off and it could have been completely perfect.

[00:05:02] Torie: You got to communicate these types of things with your customers. Because like I said, some people they’re always just going to be pissed off. Like you can’t make those people happy, but for the most part, if you just explain to people and give them an expectation of how long they might have to wait, that’s extra people are going to be okay with it.

[00:05:20] Sean: Especially in a medical setting. Right? Yeah. Shit can go wrong horribly and that’s horribly for an individual.

[00:05:27] Torie: Well, and that’s why I thought I said, they always just said like something serious. Like, no, one’s going to ask. And it’s not like you’re in there all the time. So if you’re like, you know, we have serious things that could happen. You, you can do it in a way with that. You’re not lying, but you’re just saying that like unexpected things happen. They could be serious. And do I have to wait?

[00:05:45] Sean: Yeah. And the thing is they, because under my circumstances they didn’t do anything to. Talk to me and tell me anything about what was going on. Other than that, it was just sitting there waiting for something that should have been really quick.

[00:06:00] Torie: Really quick.

[00:06:01] Sean: And they wound up sending in an automated email afterwards, wanting to know what my opinion was on that visit. I let them know I haven’t heard anything back from them about that probably because it’s probably normal business, but it. It goes to show though, you know, providing an outlet for feedback.

Like that is huge for any business, because I didn’t go on Google. I didn’t go on their Facebook page. I didn’t blast them for how horrible it was that I had to wait. I mean, I understand shit happens whether they told me or not it was inconvenient for me. It annoyed the shit out of me. But the fact that they sent an email wanting to know what my opinion was.

That was good enough for me to then voice my frustration with them that they can then do or not do something.

[00:06:47] Torie: And I like the restaurant over the edge thingy that we talked about that the business owners were like, oh my gosh. Like, I can’t believe people said that about, you know, the business, you know, about the reviews that they didn’t know about.

Sometimes whoever’s really in charge may not have any idea. And I think having that feedback that is a really good way for you to not have to publicly attack them, to give them feedback, but just actually internally ask for that feedback.

[00:07:12] Sean: Which I think is super wise for any business, because that does provide an outlet for them to voice any kind of frustration that they might have. Hopefully, it’s good stuff that you give, you know, told back about their experience, but whatever it is. You now know. And can make, you know, whatever changes need to take place or you can ignore them all and, and keep doing whatever it is you’re doing.

[00:07:37] Torie: Sometimes too, being on one side of things, you may not even see what the other side is seeing. So I think that kind of feedback is always nice to be able to get. And these are things that you can automate. You don’t have to. You know, have this be a big ordeal, it can be something that automatically happens that like you, how yours was like somebody didn’t sit there and like, say, oh, Sean Mathis is just slapped.

Let’s make sure we send them this email. It was something that was set up inside of their processes so that it automatically went out. And so anytime you have any type of appointment-based business, this is something that you can always, always, always just build into your processes.

[00:08:11] Sean: Yeah. Even from the museum. Now, thinking about that, and I haven’t thought of that. Until right now it would be possible, you know, granted admission to the museum isn’t Miles Through Time staff. But maybe with some changes in the future, we might be able to do something like this, but how difficult would it be for them to give admission when they come in to pay for it?

Right. And get an email from them, which can then be put right there into the system. That then tags him saying that they’re, they’re actively visiting the museum that then we automate a sequence right afterward. How was your visit? You know, and, and now we’re, we’re capturing real-time feedback from all.

[00:08:52] Torie: So you can absolutely get that. A lot of people may not want to give it. Some people will give it. I think if you figured out some way to do a freebie type thing, like what can you offer them to make it the conversion of people giving you money better?

[00:09:06] Sean: And you know, we like to keep you up to date or whatever’s going on because I’ll walk in there and we’ve got a registration book where people sign when there’s a shit ton of emails listed in there. And I, I actually, I took a bunch of pictures of him the other day. I said I can go put their email. I’ve forgotten.

[00:09:23] Torie: Do you know when you did the slider card, like before it was the antique. People you, you could say, can I email you a receipt? Right. And that was a really nice time because then you automatically got people’s emails.

So since it’s a little bit different with that sales process but I’m sure it could be worked in there some way, because then again, it would be a really great time to get that feedback, get them on your list. Then you could tell them about events and things like that. You could ask them for a review on TripAdvisor or Google or wherever you need, you know, reviews that I think that’s a great idea.

[00:09:56] Sean: Grocery chains, you know, watch your email and your phone number and keep track of your groceries and want all your information so that they can directly target the people that are already.

[00:10:07] Torie: We’ll see you then. But grocery session, are you going to come back? So that’s really great for repeat business, but then. Done it in a way they’re not like, can we track all your purchases, which is what they’re doing. Instead, they’re making it sound like it’s a service that they’re providing for you and that it’s so great and you’re saving money and you know what I mean? So you’d have to just figure out how to switch it in a way to make it that the customer feels like by giving you their email, that they’re really getting something of value.

[00:10:37] Sean: Shit. I mean, it could be as easy. I could give them a damn. Hey, give us your email and these stickers that we charge a dollar for. We’re going to give to you a sticker for an email, but it could, that could apply to any business though. Cause you, no matter what, you’re going to get people that are sticklers.

Those are going to be the similar types of people that put their thumb over the license plate and pictures of their cars. You know, they’re just, they’re not going to. It’s fine move on from it. But I think a lot of people and I’d be you know, I’d, I’d say most people. Don’t care and I’ll give you their email.

And a lot of people have multiple emails and they’ll give you their one. That’s set up for nothing but spam. You know, that’s what they do. I used to do that with my old Yahoo email. It went to such crap that I, that was the one I use to give to people. I didn’t really want anything from. And then eventually it faded out.

[00:11:29] Torie: Yeah businesses that are, appointment-based a lot easier to do this, but yeah, anything that you can ask for the email, we talked about the dog groomer all the time, you know, why didn’t they get my email? I would have happily have given them my, like, please take my email so you can remind me of things that it actually might be nice for some people to actually be asked for that email.

You should try it and see what the conversion is. You can figure out your daily, how many emails you got versus cause you have record of how many people actually come.

[00:11:56] Sean: Well, any, any, like, unless you’re in an industry where you sell to the customer once, and then they’re gone like there’s nothing else for them to buy. It’s important to capture their email if you can. I mean, even if it’s, it’s like the pizza place, right. You get their email and it’s you know, free drinks the next time you come in, of course, they’re going to give you their email and they’re going to come back. I mean, there’s so many things like.

[00:12:22] Torie: Yeah. And you can do, like, I hate for people to give a dollar off amount off for it, but it is always something that you could do that you could actually raise your prices a little bit and then give them that much off if they did sign up or maybe for next time or things like that. There’s also a really nice software now that you can just you know, No five, six, seven, eight to this phone number.

And then you’re automatically added to the email list or to a text list, which is nice because you can also have those being sent via text rather than via email. So there’s some options there. You could definitely get feedback.

[00:13:01] Sean: The text is definitely getting more, more and more popular.

[00:13:04] Torie: I didn’t like it at first and I was getting texts from businesses, but now that I get a few that actually do it well, I really don’t mind because it’s really easy for me to just really quick. Shoot them back or to see it. Rather than I don’t, I’m not in my email as often that it’s more for like serious.

[00:13:21] Sean: I’d tell you, I’d rather them text than call.

[00:13:24] Torie: So the dojo, we talk about the karate dojo that the kids go to. They have their set up that all of their announcements go out via text and via email and they use MailChimp. I don’t know if that’s who they use for texting, but it is kind of nice that it’s, it’s just like quick reminders, like reminder. We don’t have class on Friday because there’s black belt testing and it’s nice that I can just catch that really quick and note it and then move on. Right. Whereas if I’m not in my email until the next business day or something, then it’s easier to miss that.

But I think all of these things are just updating your business process because of these things. Shit, that’s going to happen. Like you have no control over it. However, some of the stuff you do have control over and so getting feedback and paying attention to these feedback loop type of things is a way that you can update your processes.

So if it’s something that you can control, You can internally make changes and probably should, for sure. Like, if whoever’s in, like, if it’s you, that’s doing the scheduling and your scheduling is overbooked, then you are doing a shitty job and need to make some changes. But if somebody else is doing the scheduling or like you, that, you know, somebody else’s actually opening the building, somebody else is actually taking the money.

Then that is a little. Outside of what you can control. So then you have to figure out like, what, what kind of business process can we build in here in case the worst thing happens, you know? So for. Doctor’s office. Like if they have no control over the fact that whoever does their scheduling is triple booking them, they’re going to know that they’re going to get double triple booked sometimes.

So then if they had something that, you know, we don’t wait until people are out there rioting and, you know, let them know what’s going on. They need to have some type of process that like, this is what, okay. They, they probably start to know when that’s going to happen. And they’re like, okay, it’s triple the time.

Like, what do we need to do? Like, you need to go out there and like, like, what are the. What are the processes that we need to go through so that everybody’s still happy because nobody wants to have their patients be all pissed off by the time they get in there? So like they’re pissed off as they’re leaving, they’re pissed off at the, you know, when they’re coming in there for any type of medical thing, especially like you don’t want your people all riled up, you want them calm down.

You want people to be in a good mood when they’re going.

[00:15:42] Sean: And I think most people, you can, you can turn it around. Like you, you can, you can bring them back to a happy state. And I mean, there’s definitely people that you can’t, but I mean, it’s like anything, you, you can’t do anything about the things you can’t do anything about. But in most cases, there’s a lot of things you can do about all kinds of things. And this is just know.

[00:16:05] Torie: Once I got to the back, like they were so nice back there, like, I felt really bad for them because they have to deal with that. The lady that gave the note, let us know what was going on. She did not do a great job. The person that checked us in probably should have said something right away, especially since they have somebody waiting. I know your husband is waiting with you as Mathis, just so you know, we’re running about two hours late, man. I know that’s inconvenient, but he can go run some errands, just make sure he comes back.

You know what I mean? Like something like that would have been nice to have done that we would have known right off the bat that. Our days fucked.

[00:16:46] Sean: You’ve got an appointment, right. To do that. You’re you’re there. Like, you don’t really have a choice necessarily. Like you went through some shit to get that appointment, so you’re staying there to do it.

Right. But what’s common is that you go out to a restaurant, right. And you’re like, I need a table for three. They’re like okay. They look, you know, it’s going to be a 40 minute wait, and then you get to make the decision. Right.

[00:17:10] Torie: That other appointment. I had a doctor’s appointment that I guess some stuff was happening. And that one, I guess everybody that goes back might take a different type of time. Like when you get to more specialty type of appointments that they don’t know how long it’s going to be. You know, when it’s like dental cleaning, they know every cleaning is this much. If they’re having like dental surgery, for example, like maybe something goes wrong and they don’t know.

And it just happened to be one of those days. I left. I think you were there. I left. So like the restaurant, but it took me, I had to go and ask and go and ask. I’m like, I’ve got a kid coming home from school that we have to pick up. Like, I can’t be here all day and that’s, you know, you gotta let people know.

[00:17:48] Sean: Yeah. Cause like, You don’t have to say that, that what is it called on a server? The hostess host. If they didn’t tell you, you had a 45 minute wait and they’re just like, okay, great. You want to put your name down?

[00:18:03] Torie: You will seat you right away.

[00:18:06] Sean: You’re not expecting that kind of a weight. I mean, after five minutes, you’re going to start getting pissed off after 10. You’re really pissed off. If you haven’t left by 15 minutes, you know you must really want to eat there. But your, your whole experience, even when you go to eat and the foods you’re, you’re not going to be happy. Right. And that’s gonna, it’s gonna correlate with, with how the business is observed by customers and you know, you’re going to go and yeah.

Comment that it was a terrible weight and the food wasn’t even that good and, and other potential customers are going to see that kind of shit where, you know, if you just give them a little bit of feedback and you have that communication you can prevent all of that. Right.

[00:18:46] Torie: And I think in this instance, and in most, I think getting feedback would probably be great. It was funny though. One of the guys. That was in the waiting room. One of the writers, he started telling them how they should do their schedule, which obviously they’re not doing the scheduling. I mean, it was pretty obvious. They’re like, you should only do four people a day for this appointment then.

We’re going to disregard that feedback. You’ll everybody’s going to have something to say, but at least getting the feedback, you have a starting point on like, what needs to change. I’m probably doing 20 a day. Oh my gosh. It was a lot, but she even said she’s like yesterday, wasn’t like this yesterday. Our appointments weren’t yesterday.

Like that’s not helping the situation. I don’t want to hear that. So automating some of these things into any business process is probably a really good idea, getting feedback, auditing your sales process and then figuring out like what these things are that do happen. Things in your control or things out of your control and having kind of a checklist, some type of process that your employees know that, you know, then you don’t have to think on your feet either.

You’re just like, oh, this is what happens. This is what I need to do when this happens. That way you kind of know and you’re not stuck off guard and the way you can start to make improvements.

[00:20:04] Sean: Plus everybody’s in the know, you know, not just you as the business owner, but your employees, they all know what to do that policies and procedures, you know, like if they, if you don’t have a set plan for what it is, your employees are supposed to do the odds of them doing exactly what you would do are slim to none.

And it’s not, I’m going to help anybody. You’re, you’re going to get all pissed off about it. They’re going to, you know, Feel bad, quit, you know, that nobody wants to get yelled at. But if you just lay this stuff out of, this is what needs to be done. You know, you give everybody an opportunity to succeed.

[00:20:42] Torie: I think we should try it for Miles Through Time. I think we should try to get, try to get emails. Sean does get emails on the website. People can sign the book, but I think that we should try to actually get emails from every single person that comes back and we’ll let you know how it goes and what works and what doesn’t work. Maybe set up some automatic feedback, ask for a review from more people, and see how that goes. We’ll see what happens.

We’ll let you know you know, we have new episodes every single Tuesday and Thursday, so we would love it if you would join us here and we’ll see you on the next time. Thanks so much.