Even if you’ve just lost a client to a competitor.
For those a few years removed from studying Shakespeare, “sweet sorrow” is how Juliet describes her feelings when Romeo leaves at night (the sorrow), anticipating their reunion the following day (the sweet).
Don’t walk away mad or cranky or spiteful – that’s the absolute wrong thing to do.
People remember last impressions, and if their last memory of you/your firm/your service is a good one, you’ll benefit in the future. Sure it’s tempting to lash out, but if you’ve gotten huffy and difficult, taken talent off the account, and pushed their requests to the bottom of the list, you’re going to have one bad reference.
If their last memory of you is poor, well, you will never know how it will hurt you, but rest assured it will. This is a very small industry – people move all the time, everyone knows everyone else, and everyone talks to everyone.
So you’ve two options – give into your petulant side, take your toys and go home, or be professional, polished, respectful and service-focused.
Before you decide, think of what the client will say – in the first instance, “man, those people turned out to be a whole lot different than I thought they were; they ignored us, refused to cooperate, and made the transition really difficult for me.”
Or, “gosh they were great; went above and beyond, really helped us move our business even though it was costing them money; can’t say enough good things about them.”
If you need more encouragement, there’s this. Individuals make buying decisions, and each decision is risky. When someone is thinking about what vendor to give their business to, they know that nothing is forever, that sooner or later the current vendor will be replaced by someone new. If they hear you were professional and helpful when they moved the business to a new vendor, that’s a little less risk for the buyer, and a better chance you’ll win the business.
What does this mean for you?
You’ll never regret doing the right thing; you’ll all-but-certainly regret letting emotions get the better of you.
While the wait may be longer than Juliet’s overnight, the reunion will still be sweet.
Good advice that holds true for employees who resign to move to a new company/better opportunity. Always go out on a high note! I’ve seen marginal employees resign but work hard their last 2 weeks. They are remembered as great employees. I’ve also seen great employees, do as little as possible their last 2 weeks. They are remembered as marginal. If you don’t want to do it the right think because because it’s the ethical option, do it for your own self-interest….you never know who will be the decision maker 5 years from now!