Ginny's RI House Hunt Blog: Do You Sometimes Have Egg on Your Face?

Good morning Ginny,

Excellent post..I went to hit the suggest button and it was already featured! You bet its better to own it!! We are not infallible...mistakes can be made and we need to own up to them and wear that egg..its good for our complection!! LOL!!

I think it's better to own up to the mistake.  People will respect you more for it, and in the long run, it will help.  Plus, you know that you are doing the right thing and that helps you do better/feel better about yourself.

Good morning Ginny - great post. It's far better to acknowledge your mistake and fix any damage than pretend it didn't happen!

Definately admit to a mistake....unless you can blame it on the dog;-)

Hi Ginny.  Cover ups and assigning blame is counter productive.

Good morning, Ginny..... we all make mistakes, especially when we are overloaded with business.... fess-up... and if it costs the client money, step up and pay for the error.... I paid a few times and everyone was happy.... it's all part of doing business.

Any mistakes I have made I have owned.  There is no way around it.  You just have to own it and make it right.            

Congratulations on the featured post. It is best to admit our mistake and it cost someone pay for it rather than blame others. 

BTW, those eggs are RI farm fresh from my son's small organic farm...there's nothing like them!

Ginny: If I make the mess, I own it.  It's easier to ask for a re-do than try to deceive through a cover-up.

Already featured at 4 in the morning WOW how does that happen. Anyway I digress very well written and touches on severl points.

Own them and you are well respected for it. I say eat that frog, admit to mistakes early on, the earlier the better and people are willing to forgive. Postpone the inevitable, and you look like a fool!

Ginny, I don't like making mistakes, mis-steps, wearing egg on my face either, however, if it's mine, I take ownership of it and make it better in whatever way I can.

Own it, deal with it and make it right........the only way to keep your credibility.  Great Feature Ginny, Congratulations!

Ginny- nobody is perfect and sometimes things happen that we did not anticipate and mistakes are made... and so it goes.. life goes on. How they are handled says who a person truly is. Great words Ginny!

Oh yes! Although I RARELY ever do this, I recently blasted another agent in an email over total incompetence, told him I was reporting him to the board, etc etc. He blasted me right back and said he was reporting "me" to board, blah blah blah. I looked at his signature line and realized I had sent it to the wrong agent! Oooooopsss!! I called and apologized and we had a big laugh!

Ginny...

We are all human and we all make mistakes. But it is so important that we deal with our goofs in a professional manner.

Ginny, I agree with you! Live up to your mistakes and make them right. Pushing them aside will only make matters worse.

There is potential for more than egg on your face in some cases. The best cure is prevention, and although we all make mistakes, if we try to operate by a set of rules and stay educated, it's easier to stay out of trouble. Last week a client requested I return an earnest money check on a failed offer. I had forgotten about it! However, because I handled it according to the rules, it was safe and sound in the proper hands. If you don't wing it, you don't have to remember as much.

Hi Ginny,

When ever I make a mistake, I have to own up to it. There is no getting around that. If i don't the Realters could make life a living nightmare for me.

Have a great day in North KingsTown.

McKie

Not making the same ones in the learning curve is the goal in the real estate, in life's dog and pony.

I made an error statement the other day (yes, its true) and someone spoke up and corrected it. Two others agreed and then I went into full confession mode. Amazing predictable results....Everyone in the room was now my friend. A boo-boo can open doors if wielded correctly....Ginny, in the egg world its called sunny side up..lol  good post

Everyone is entitled to one mistake. .but a second. . I guess that is when they lie. .

Integrity and owning up to it are the best way to wipe that egg off of one's face.  You nailed it right there.

Keeping my integrity is very important to me in this business. Like Fernando's comment, the second time around moves in to lie territory.  I'm dealing with egg on my face right now for something that was out of my control, but I could've taken steps to avoid the inevitable. It's been a learning experience--so important who we trust. If we want others to trust us, we have to be trustworthy. Great post,

So true.  It is always better to own up to something that to try and point the finger.  I think our clients deserve to be told the truth, regardless of how it may be sometimes.

Been there, done that.  The key for me has been to face it head on and not try to cover it up and end up looking even worse when they find out about the cover up.  So it's best just to acknowledge it and move forward.

It takes integrity to make it right.  I'm going through this right now with a buyer and a seller.  Honesty and integrity will get you far in this business.

Ginny- congrats on the feature.  It's always better to own it, claim it and then do something about it.  People/clients would rather have the truth. 

I always own up to mistakes that I have done on my own.  I can admit when I was wrong.  

Face up to it if you have made a mistake...It is better to do that and have a good feeling rather than beating around the bush..

I always face up to my mistakes. I am human and I am sure my clients like to deal with a human and not a  robot.

One of the reasons I haven't focused on being a high volume Realtor, is because I am more interested in providing quality service, rather than generating quanity, by just putting cans on the shelf.  It is usually when we become overly busy and overwhelmed that mistakes occur.  That being said, it is inevitable in the course of our lives and work, to totally escape missteps along the way.  It is always best to confront it upfront, own it, and go about the business of making it right!

I get "eggs" all over my face many times and it is always best to fess up about it.  Great feature!

I made a mistake a few weeks ago and wrestled with how to explain it - it wasn't a huge deal, but still ( I misplaced an earnest money check - turns out it was safe the entire time - my husband had helped me by sticking in a drawer) . However, before I located it, I had to call my client and tell her to stop payment in case it was lost "publically." God forbid. She was so sweet about it - but, I nearly died. I felt like a big loser. 

Ginny I have been around for a few years.  It took a while to learn but it is some thing that I have learned well.  You own up to your mistakes, and you don't run away from problems.  Not owning up to mistakes, and running away from problems only makes the mistakes and mistakes ten times worst.

Oh, I don't know, nearly every day...

Oh, and every time I eat Eggs Benedict.

There might be a little Hollandaise mixed in with that egg too.

Sunny side up or scrambled He who has not sinned should live in the church. Glass houses attract stones. 

This reminds me of when I was new in a retail job and struggled to do things quickly, or would stare at the register trying to rack my brain on which was the button I was supposed to push next. I would simply tell the impatient customer that I was new on the job and suddenly they could relate, were very friendly and smiling. Most people just want to understand why whatever is wrong happened and to know that you can make it right, better or what the end ramifications are. Sure, you'll have the occassional person who is unforgiving, but that seems to be the minority. 

Ginny, It seems to me the egg I wear on my face is caused by a lender or other third party in my real estate transaction. Ultimately, mistakes made, even if not directly by me, reflect on my business.  We all do the very best we can. We are human!

Handle or rectify a mistake right away. It's also good to do so in writing so it doesn't come back to haunt you.

Usually a combination of the choices. If minor, I hope they don't notice. If big enuff, I blame my "age" for it......

own up to it ... fix it ... move on ... never lost a client because of it ... 

Ginny, I recognize those eggs, and better in the carton versus on your face.  Own your mistakes and move on -- so true!

Our family credo has always been GET OFF OF IT! GET OVER IT! GET ON WITH IT!. 5 grown kids and 12 growing grandkids and it continues to work today.

Integrity & your slipped up words.  It takes courage to say that you are wrong & apologize or make things right.

thanks all for sharing and supporting ...because we are all human & we do want to own it & make it right.

Ginny

We all make mistakes from time to time. No one likes when this happens but sweeping it under the rug or making excuses doesn't fool anyone. I think most people will appreciate it when we own up, and will understand what happened. It also prmotes trust I think, versus the other way around.

Jeff

I agree. Better to own it and move through it to make it right. We all make mistakes.

Hi Ginny, we believe in "taking responsibilty for it" no matter who is at fault.  That in itself calms many customers.

Ginny - Love to hear the story behind that one....   But I agree - much better to make it all right immediately!

The faster you own up to a mistake the quicker (and easier) you can set about correcting it.

Meanwhile - can we send a copy of this post and the comments to our politicians?

Ginnny:

As much as it pains me to admit I make mistakes, I claim ownership as soon as possible.  I don't want my clients to think I evade responsibility for my mistakes.

Admitting to a mistake and figuring out how to right the situation as soon a possible is important.

Someone who doesn't own it will more than likely throw someone else under the bus to take the blame. And that's just wrong. Clients are human too, and make mistakes of their own.  While confessing to your mistake, have the corrective measures and apologies well in-hand!

I think owning your mistake is also called taking personal responsibility; i.e. being held accountable for your actions.  Unfortunately, I think there are too few people in Real Estate or just in general that are willing to step up to the plate and say, "I'm sorry.  I made a mistake.  I will do my best to correct it."  But even then it is not enough; you need to take action.

I am one of those people who prefers to take my lumps up front. In MY experience, like yours, the sooner you own mistake, the better. Some politicians would be well served to learn this lesson.

Ginny - I've been negotiating a one year lease for two years. I raised my voice out of frustration at one point. She said, "You're yelling at me?" I stopped and said I guess I was, but it wasn't directed at her, it was my own frustration over the negotiations. She admitted she was frustrated as well. We finally closed this deal and I apologized for raising my voice. We hugged and continue to stay in touch.

Ginny - While it may be easier initially to shift the blame for a misstep onto to someone else, it's never, ever worth it in the long run.  Great post... Thanks!

Ginny -  First admit the mistake, take responsibility for it, learn from it, fix it if possible, then move on.  This is how a leader learns to be a leader.  Hiding it, or blaming others never works.  Be honest with yourself first, then with others... always works for me.

I hope the truthfulness always comes out...one feels so much better to live in the truth...thanks!

I like your approach. Everyone makes a mistake now and then. Own it and move on.