At Pro SportSales, we believe in the importance of following procedures and protocols. However, we also know that flexibility and customer satisfaction can make all the difference. Sometimes, thinking outside the box is the key to turning a challenge into an opportunity.
A Lost Client… But Not Forgotten
After months of discussions with a potential client, they ultimately decided to go with another solution. Despite this, we maintained the relationship, convinced that a new collaboration opportunity might arise in the future.
An Urgent Problem and an Unexpected Solution
One evening in 2012, after our partner’s warehouse—a growing family business—had already closed, we received an urgent call from this same client. Even though they hadn’t chosen to work with us, they now had a critical issue that we could solve. The only problem? They needed the product first thing the next morning… in a city 500 km away.
At the time, express shipping options were limited. On top of that, the warehouse had a strict internal policy: no product could leave without the approval of the manager, who was already unavailable.
The driver agreed to transport the package, and by the next morning, the client had their product on time. They were so impressed by our speed and commitment that, over time, they became a valuable partner for our supplier. Of course, we did receive a minor scolding from the warehouse manager!
Thinking Outside the Box
We knew this situation required a creative solution. So, without completely breaking the rules—but confident that the consequences would be minimal—we found an alternative: using BlaBlaCar, a ridesharing app that, at the time, wasn’t typically used for logistics.
The driver agreed to transport the package, and by the next morning, the client had their product on time. They were so impressed by our speed and commitment that, over time, they became a valuable partner for our supplier. Of course, we did receive a minor scolding from the warehouse manager!
Lesson Learned
This experience taught us that while following the rules is essential, having the flexibility to adapt to customer needs can be the difference between losing an opportunity and gaining a long-term partner.
