You do your best to please every customer, of course, yet we all get complaints occasionally. A dramatic incident lead me to share my counter-intuitive approach to handling disappointed clients.

I was near the desk at my health club when I overheard a woman ask the attendant if anyone had found a book she had forgotten earlier. The attendant said she had seen it by the exercise bikes, but now it was gone. The member said, "If you had brought the book to 'Lost & Found' I would have it now."

The attendant explained, "I thought if I left it there you would find it when you came back."

"Isn't it the policy of the club to place property in this bin behind the desk?" the member insisted.

"It was only out for a minute. I would have moved it if you didn't come for it soon."

"But someone stole it, so now I have to ...