Lying at work — Part 2

In Part 1, we talked about lies you’ve told customers. And asked if you’ve ever lied at work? But what about customers…

Do customers lie?

“Yes, I have a new born baby in my home so I need my air conditioning fixed immediately.” Now, sometimes that’s true. But, there must have been a baby explosion during my years as a Contractor for all the times I personally heard this.

Or, “I just got out of the hospital and there’s no heat so I need it fixed now.” Once again, I’m sure this happens I’m just questioning the frequency.

The difference is when a Customer lies to you for their personal WIIFM which is normally to gain immediate attention above all others. You don’t get to call them on it. As it was best said to me, “The Customer isn’t always right. But, they are always the customer. So, we have to act like they’re right.”

So, how do you spot if you’re being lied to?

My dad taught me, “Pay attention to how people talk and behave around others when they don’t thinking you’re watching. That’s because that’s their true nature on display. We all look to put on our best face so we can act accordingly when we’re talking to you vs. letting our guard down and being ourselves when we think we’re not being watched.”

I know from my work both at my business and today as a consultant that lying, whether intentional or not, is more easily spotted by:

• Listening to how things are being said as much as what’s being said by whom.
• Asking yourself, “Why is this person telling me what they are telling me?” In other words, try to figure out their WIIFMs for what they’re saying to you.
• When face to face, see how well they are able to maintain eye contact while talking.
• Are they smiling while they’re talking? Read the body language and facial expression as much as hear what they’re saying.
• Is there fire where there is smoke? How many times have you heard this from them and is it true or not.

Here's a good article in Forbes by Carol Kinsey Gorman about “12 Way to Spot a Liar”, which gives some other good tips.

The myths you tell yourself

The harder lie to spot is the one you tell yourself. Sometimes, it’s not even a lie so much as something that’s untrue that you just believe. You believe it because it’s a myth you tell yourself or you picked up along the way and you just own it.

Sometimes it’s true what you’re telling yourself but you don’t want to deal with it.

I’ll leave you with what I told my Field Supervisors and Managers at my company. “Don’t hide trouble.” Hiding trouble is covering up for what the people they manage are doing that’s not in keeping with our ethical and procedural standards. That is tantamount to lying and now they’re in trouble, too.

As an Owner, I had to get comfortable with allowing my team to tell me things that a lot of times I didn’t want to hear, so they would feel more comfortable telling me the truth that I did need to hear.

From Dinosaur to Dynamite!

Not likely!....But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s what just one client had to say:

“I trained and worked at someone else’s 3rd generation company. We did work the way their grandpa did when he started their company.

So I knew when I started my own company, I too would have to keep challenging myself to keep my business up to date and always growing the right way.
And with Al’s help, we have done that by updating our warehouse and how it will function, the way our trucks are now stocked and laid out to increase customer satisfaction while increasing productivity. There are even more good things underway.

Today, the operation manuals are in place and the building of the right kind of training center is underway, all of which makes it possible to teach the Master way of doing things right from the start.”

Dave Judd, President
Master Plumbing, Heating and Cooling.
Cedar Rapids, IA

Have some good lies you've caught at work? Let us know in the Comments section below!

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Al Levi has been helping contractors solve problems and turn greater profits while making it possible for them to get their lives and free time back. To discover more, visit www.60SecondContractorSolution.com.

And also check out Al’s latest business adventure as part of Zoom Franchise Company at www.zoomdrain.com/franchise-opportunity.