Home Remedies (Issue 823)

In which we are reminded that it’s useful to know multiple ways to configure our products (or even other companies’ products) to solve clients’ problems so that we add value and keep the relationships

“Weepy, wet, and red” is how I’d describe it.

During my flight to Fort Lauderdale, my left eye became irritated. Significantly itchy. Scratchy, blink-blink agitated. The eye hadn’t felt completely right for a few days and, with the benefit of three hours in 35,000 foot air conditioned comfort, conditions deteriorated.

Not the first time I’d experienced this and I didn’t look forward to the next stage which, usually, has been ACUTE sensitivity to light. Not good when the week ahead involves leading a meeting and participating in a conference.

Sitting in my hotel room after the flight, I prevaricated. What to do?

At 9:30 pm, I called my physician. He asked a couple of questions and I gave him the phone number for the nearest CVS.

Ten minutes later, I presented myself at the CVS pharmacy desk.

“Yes, we have the prescription and, no, we don’t have the ointment here. Probably by tomorrow afternoon.”

I asked for options. They checked stock at nearby CVS stores. “There are two stores that have it and they’ll be closing in 5 minutes, not much good to you” they said. “We can transfer your prescription to one of them and you can pick it up in the morning.”

I sighed. And blinked and squinted. I had an all-day meeting to lead the following morning and I wouldn’t be free to pick up the prescription until 6:00 pm the following evening.

I turned to the pharmacist and asked, “Do you have any other ideas?”

“How do you feel about home remedies?”, he asked.

“I’m good with home remedies,” I replied. “What are you thinking?”

“Baby shampoo. Suds in your eye and rinse them out. Every few hours until you can pick up the ointment.”

So, I blinked my way to aisle 10 and found a small bottle of baby shampoo.

Long story short, it did the trick. I made it through my all-day meeting the next day. When I picked up the ointment, I felt really grateful for the pharmacist and his home remedy.

Sometimes our best or most appropriate products aren’t available, or they’re too expensive, or they’re not quite right. Following the pharmacist’s example, it’s useful to know multiple ways to configure our products (and even other companies’ products) to solve clients’ problems so that WE add value and WE keep their relationships.

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