My daughter’s wedding last summer was a magical day. Still, a few days later when I received the caterer’s final invoice, I noticed something funny: We didn’t get the 10% discount promised to us.
I didn’t want to call him, get angry and blurt out, “Why didn’t you give us the discount?” After all, the wedding was extraordinary, thanks in large part to the caterer’s wonderful food and outstanding service. Instead, I decided to be proactive and recalculate the bill according to our agreement.
I started with a positive greeting that reflected my joy about the event: “Great job on everything! Everyone had a great time.” This was followed by a request to compare my recalculated figures with his notes, ending in a specific proposal to adjust the bill to what I thought it should be. He responded the next day, apologizing for his error and agreeing with my adjusted balance.
Sometimes, it just takes being proactive and proposing a reasonable solution.