For example, I had a client call us on Friday who had an emergency situation that needed to be attended to immediately! He had tried to install a pwc lift by himself only to have the lift flip over & start to sink! This is a natural event that occurs more often than you think when amateur or do-it-yourself clients attempt to perform the same tasks that we naturally do on a regular basis! While most companies would be upset over this attempt, I actually condone it which may sound stupid but here is 1 reason why. Over 90% of my clients who attempt to perform the same work I do will either fail or make the conditions worse than they already were! However, while most biz-owners would see that as the good part, I'm here to tell you that there is an even better part to this event! The true benefit isn't in the fact that they failed or the failure itself or in any type of entertainment value that you joke about back at the office or any financial reward due to the fact that they had failed! The true benefit I found was the respect that the client will have for you & your skills after they have attempted the same task & failed! I wish all my clients would atleast attempt to perform all of the techniques & services that we offer on a daily basis! Not only would they respect you more for your actual skills & experience, they would also appreciate & understand the prices you charge or why you have to invoice them the amount that you do for that certain task or service! To me, that is the best value that you could ever receive!
Now, getting back to our original story, the client contacted us late on Friday afternoon wanting to know if we had a service crew that could come out to help him. He explained that the pwc lift was at his dock, but had flipped over which meant he had very little time before it would sink to the bottom of the lake! I immediately called my project coordinator & told him the situation & asked him if he could put a crew together fast! I'm so thankful that I have the great guys that I have b/c they jumped on the situation immediately, but then something happened. When my PC called the client to get directions, he was told that there was another crew on the way! I know what you're thinking b/c I asked the same thing..."Why didn't he call us back to tell us that", but then you have to remember the there are those types of arrogant & ignorant clientèle that care about nothing more than themselves! Anyway, they unpacked their gear & I thanked them anyway for their caring nature & thoughtful choices! It happens to us here & there so I don't try to dwell on it or worry about it too much at all! I have other clients who appreciate & respect my time along w/ my guys' time & are serious about acquiring the quality products & reliable service that my company has to offer!
So, the next day I go into work as usual & start my Saturday just like every day. Then I receive a call around 10:30 from a very familiar voice that asks me the same question that he did the day before! Surprised, shocked & humored by the situation, I had to chuckle a little bit due to the fact that he asked if I could help him again b/c apparently the other company that he called never did show up all day yesterday & up to 10:30 that morning either! So again, I started the routine all over & put the pieces in motion so we can save this lift before it sinks! Now, you have to understand that since the day we established in 2000, I always made a promise to my guys (employees) that if they would give me 110% on Monday - Friday, 8:00 - 5:00 that they could have the weekends off! This was the best plan I have ever made in my business b/c I get the most from my guys & they are allowed a break as well! However, if we had an emergency repair call that I would agree to pay them double-time or twice the hourly rate! They really like it b/c they make twice as much & it's on a volunteer basis so they don't have to work if they don't want to! By doing this, I was able to eliminate the bad &/or lazy attitudes from employees that didn't feel like working on that day, but in turn, if the employee needs to or wants to make themselves more money they can & will by this service that we offer!
Now with that said, you know that it requires alot out of our employees to stop what they are doing to take care of someone else's problems! So, we stopped everything we were doing in order to take care of this individuals problem only for the same event to occur again! For the 2nd day in a row, my PC called the client to get directions again only for him to say that he didn't need us after all! Once again, rather than him call us back to tell us that he had the situation under control, we had to find out by calling him again! Not only did he decline our services again, I also come to find out that he relied on the same company again rather than rely on a reliable company like Stokes Dock Co.! Even though I understand & respect the loyalty clients show to use the same company that they always use in the years past, I don't understand why you would rely on a company that obviously wasn't very reliable in the 1st place! However, if that is who the client wants to use then it is his/her right to use whomever they like! What I don't like is the lack of respect for my employees time & the lack of respect for my company & my time! I usually don't let alot of things upset me, but my guys work very hard to provide my clients w/ the best dock products & the most reliable services & I don't like it when a client takes advantage of those ideals that we all have worked so hard to establish! The fact that they believe that he/she time, product or situation is more important than my employees family time is not only disrespectful, it's arrogant & selfish too! While they may not hold a prestigious job title or on the Board of Directors for Microsoft, they do provide a very necessary & hold a very responsible position to clients, boaters &/or marinas that respect & require their necessary skills, experience & product knowledge to make their waterfront living experience a hassle-free, enjoyable & most of all, safe & secure place to entertain families, friends & clients! I have always told my guys to hold their heads high & take pride in the fact that they know skills & contain the knowledge to provide products & services that most people do not know or simply cannot do! So, while this client may not think that their time is valuable or that their skills & knowledge are not important or are expendable, as you can see they do hold a very important job after all! My advice would be that if you have the privilege of acquiring a quality-conscious & reliable company, like Stokes Dock Co., then I would take full advantage of the opportunity or use their experience, skills & product knowledge to the absolute fullest! My favorite clients are the clients that want to learn how to make or enhance their waterfront living experience so feel free to ask questions &/or advice about any situation that you might have!
So, with all that said, the good thing is that this blog didn't just provide 1 lesson, but several lessons that you could learn from! One of the main lessons is I want you to learn is to respect the values of a quality company & feel privileged & take full advantage of any chance you get when you receive the chance to use them! Don't be the kid who cried wolf b/c we all know what happened to him! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, changes or ideas that you would like to suggest, plz feel free to contact me anytime. Thank you for your time & your consideration on these matters!
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