Bridging the Gap
Last week, during a playoff game between the Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies, Grizzlies’ star Ja Morant’s family, attended the game at Utah to watch their son play. While watching the game, the Morant family was on the receiving end of racial slurs from three Jazz fans.
The Jazz organization banned these three fans indefinitely and issued an apology to the Morant family. The owner, Ryan Smith, went a step further and provided courtside tickets, lodgings, and a new car to the Morant family.
Yesterday, the Jazz won the series and are moving to the next round of the playoffs.
Here’s what Ja’s dad, Tee Morant, had to say to Utah Jazz star, Donovan Mitchell:
Tee Morant to Donovan Mitchell: “Y’all didn’t have to show us love like that. … That’s why I hope the Jazz win the championship.”
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 3, 2021
Mitchell told ESPN, “For me, it was just the ultimate sign of respect.”
ESPN story: https://t.co/5iIPCGO485 pic.twitter.com/O977v5bB0d
Hey, yo, I’m goin’ for y’all right now. Why? Y’all didn’t have to do that. Y’all didn’t have to show love to us like that. Yo. No, but this is what I’m sayin’. When (expletive) goes bad and then you reach out, that’s how you bridge the gap. Most people don’t realize that.
“Hey, that’s why I appreciate you, and that’s why I hope the Jazz win the championship”
Ryan Smith ran a clinic on how to be customer obsessed, but more importantly, how to be a kind human. With any detractors or passives, if they have a terrible experience with your product, you can turn them into promoters by truly going above and beyond. That’s how you bridge the gap.