Hey Pro!
Hope your summer is going well. I have been working pretty hard on several fronts. Selling and installing in five states at Shades In Place, recording classes, signing agreements at Trading Up Consulting, and remodeling an investment property in Florida. Needless to say I have a full plate at the moment.
For that reason, I am taking a couple of weeks off while I can still enjoy the summer.
I asked my travel agent to get me tickets to Orlando to visit the construction site. She got me a “pretty good deal” which should have raised a red flag but given the amount of things in my head, I did not pay attention to it …
When I arrived at the airport to check my bags, that elusive red flag we previously spoke of hit me pretty hard. I had to pay extra for my luggage INCLUDING my carry-on bags. All in all, the fees were TRIPLE the price of the plane ticket. Not much of a savings after all.
When I called my travel agent to complain about the situation, her reply was “I am sorry Roger, I assumed that you would know about the fees”…
My reply to her was: “I hired you as the expert in this area to sort out the travel jungle industry lingo and pitfalls because this is not my area of expertise. The least you should have done was educate me about the product I was buying.”
When I am measuring or installing, more often than not, clients say “Roger, the windows are all the same size” and I always reply the same way “They might be Mrs. Jones, but I will measure each and every single one of them. Nevertheless, assumptions cost money.”
Here are a few things to incorporate into your Top-Notch Installer’s bag of knowledge:
- Never assume that windows are the same size. In fact, the windows might be the same size, however, the framework and trim around them may be done slightly differently each time. So, measure every unit the same way to guarantee that products will fit accordingly.
- Always discuss with the homeowner, designer, or dealer why they are choosing that specific product for a particular room. Repeat the question for each room. More often than not, clients reassess the initial selection because they assumed that the same product would be ideal everywhere.
- Plan an extra chunk of time for your installs. Even when I know that an installation will take 30 minutes, I still add an extra half hour to the calendar. There is always the potential of extra traffic, or receiving the product with a small damage or a missing bracket. Those “unexpected” ordeals can be easily handled when you have extra time. Running tight on the clock usually spikes the anxiety level and the potential of making a mistake.
Speaking of planning ahead and getting prepared for the unexpected, I have developed a Masterclass called Level Up Your Installation Business. In this 45-minute class, I break down in 13 short and sweet lessons what Top-Notch Installers have in common and what they do to create lifelong delighted clients.
As I say, we don’t have time to learn everything on our own, so learning from other people’s experience is a very smart thing to do. I assume (haha) that you already know everything in this business, but am still going to suggest that you purchase this class. A lunch for two would be more expensive than this class and the amount of future business generated by even ONE nugget of advice and insight I share with you here would bring you more value in the end.
In the meantime, don’t assume that your installer did everything correct. Make sure to follow-up with your clients after each install. Don’t assume that they are 100% satisfied just because they did not call back.
I, on the other hand, am heading to the airline counter to confirm my luggage surcharges.
Always remember: keep asking, never assume, and never stop learning!
Until next time,
Roger