Do you value my time?

[gene]

Meeting today with a new int. designer. I brought a helper. I was told to be on time because the ID had another appointment right after our meeting. I got there 10 minutes early. Our meeting was only going to take a few minutes to get some measurements.

The ID was a no show. She left a message later in the day saying she didn't know what happened. She had the correct time for our meeting and got there late and she didn't know why I wasn't there. Yes, she expected me to wait indefinitely until she showed up.

No apology for missing our meeting - only her confusion in not knowing why I didn't wait as long as it took for her to arrived.

I have found that folks who place no value on my time will always place no value for my money - as in not being motivated to pay me when payment is due.

Have you folks found the same to be true?

gene

[Darren Henry]

How long did you wait for her? and did she answer her cell phone when you tried to call her?

[byhammerandhand]

Most of my work has been in-home for third-party payers -- protection plans, stores, delivery services, etc.  I think it's even worse for that. When I fully booked, this happened about once a month.  I got into the habit of re-confirming the night before (text message always good for that as people seem to respond better to texts than voice-mail), and when possible, as I'm headed that way. 

I used to get there and no one home and didn't answer the phone, I always figured they were more than 15 past the appointment time, they weren't just running late, they'd forgotten about the appointment, so I'd leave.  If a call would yield the "I'm running late and will be there in 10 minutes."  Normally, it was more like 30.  Once in a while, they would call me while I'm sitting in their driveway.   Normally I was the one that had to initiate contact.

I worked really hard to give people exact times and get there on time.   When I used to have to take off work for an in-home service, I used to hate the "We'll be there between 8 and 12,"  then have them show up at 1 and have to leave for lunch.

[sofadoc]

I have determined that there are many people in this world that simply have a lobe of their brain that doesn't function properly.

It's the lobe that takes the distance between 2 points, and estimates the time required to travel that distance. If they have a 2:00 appointment that is 20 minutes away, they leave their house at 2:00.

I grew up strictly adhering to the self-discipline that "Early is on-time, and on-time is late". It hasn't worked well for me, since no one else follows that rule.

Our church bus used to always plan on leaving the church at 1:00 PM on a Saturday to take the kids to church camp. It was always about 2:30 before the bus finally rolled out of the parking lot. Most of the parents didn't even make a feeble attempt to arrive on time. In fact, many of them arrived late intentionally, so they wouldn't have to wait around for the other late parents. This went on for several years. Then one year, the bus driving duties fell to ME.

I announced in church the Sunday before, that "There is a new sheriff in town. 1:00 MEANS 1:00!!"

Many parents paid my warning no mind. And their kids missed the bus. it caused a lot of hard feelings. I was not asked to handle bus duties after that.

In this day and age of cell phones, there is no excuse for not at least calling and explaining why you have been delayed.

I had a customer call me last week just before 5:00 PM. She said she was on her way, so I told her that I would stay late for her. About 20 minutes later, she accidentally butt-dialed me. I could hear her washing dishes and talking to the kids. The TV was playing and the dog was barking. She hadn't even left the house yet.

She called the next day to apologize. About 10 seconds after she said that she was "leaving the house right now", she forgot and resumed her normal activities.

[byhammerandhand]

My kids had a marching band director whose credo was "Early is on time; on time is late."

I used to hate it when my boss (former job) would call a meeting of his immediate reports.   We'd be there about 5 minutes after the designated start time and he'd say, "Let's give people a few more minutes to show up before we start."   In the meantime, 7-10 of us were sitting there wasting time.    Click, there goes a man-hour or two that we were not doing anything productive and telling everyone, "No sense showing up on time."

[sofadoc]

I used to hate it when my boss (former job) would call a meeting of his immediate reports.   We'd be there about 5 minutes after the designated start time and he'd say, "Let's give people a few more minutes to show up before we start."   In the meantime, 7-10 of us were sitting there wasting time.    Click, there goes a man-hour or two that we were not doing anything productive and telling everyone, "No sense showing up on time."

I once had to attend a 1 day cerification course. The course was 75 miles away in heavy rainy traffic. It began at 8:00 AM , and ended at 5:00 PM. I was there before 7:00 AM.

The instructor spent the first 2 hours lecturing us that we absolutely positively had to attend the full eight-hour course in order to get certified. So if you were late......you fail the course. No ifs ands or buts.

People continued to filter in late until 10-10:30 AM. Each time another late comer walked through the door, we got the lecture all over again.

At the end of the day, we all got the same passing grade for attending.

[gene]

My wife's sister is always late. Yes, this absolute statement is absolutely absolute. (And some folks claim that there are no absolutes.) Years ago I told my wife that I would no longer wait for her sister - EVER! I did say it nice, and I did tell her sister that also. If my sister-in-law is supposed to be here at 9 so we can leave, we leave at 9 with or without her. If we are going to have dinner at 7 and she is invited and is not here at 7, we start dinner without her.

She has not changed her ways at all. And, I can say that for years now I have not once been frustrated or angry that she is late. If my wife wants to be inconvenienced by her sister being late, she is inconvenienced without me.

--------------------------
IMO (I recently learned what this acronym means.) As small business owners it is difficult at times to keep business separate from our personal lives. The foundation of my life is the same, but how I interact with customers is, and I think should be, very different than how I interact with family and friends.

gene

[SteveA]

Here in NYC travel is terrible.  Roads are always congested. But it's not unusual for a customer to say can you be here at 9 sharp - I have to leave by 9:30. 
To deal with traffic I leave my office  at 7 - park downtown have coffee whatever - then go into the lobby and the doorman calls upstairs - now it's 9 sharp. 
Customer replies back - ask him to have a seat we'll be ready in 15 minutes. 

SA

[Mike]

funny just this week someone was coming to pick up something walled saud they were 20 mins away they got there 45 mins later.  im always early 1/2 sometimes.   way back when when I was divorced and had weekend visitation with my son I used to meet my X  halfway between hour houses we were an hour apart.   so id drive 30 minutes to the planeed pick up and sit and wait for a half hour.   one day she was going to pick him up at my bait shop it was summer and the window ac unit broke it was a sunday she was to be there like 5pm  I wanted to go get a new ac as soon as she left to go get on before the stores closed sunday .   well I waited and waited over an hour.   so I LEFT   and me and tim went shopping I had about a 30 minute ride to the store and by the time I got back she was sitting in  her car for a long time lol   

[gene]

Back in my sales/manager days, I was always early. It's funny today, how, by force of habit, I'm still always early unless the creek rises on me. It does make me look good as a business person.

I'm not Catholic, but I would think that nuns get dressed by force of habit.

gene

[Mojo]

I am never late for anything. I have serious OCD issues when it comes to being punctual. I believe most of that stems from my Dad and the Marine Corps. My Dad was always early for everything. In regards to the Marine Corps, try showing up 5 minutes late. The SGT or officer would hand your ass to you.

This carried over into my adulthood. So badly that I go by what is called " Old Ladies Time ". In other words I set my watch 5 minutes ahead of time so I am never late for anything.

My time, like everyone else's is valuable. People who are habitually late are products of today's society
which is " All about me ". ONly their schedule matters...... Only their money matters...... In other words only THEY matter and the rest of the world can KMA.

It drives me insane the way people are now days. A total lack of respect for others.
End of Rant.

Chris

[Darren Henry]

In regards to the Marine Corps, try showing up 5 minutes late. The SGT or officer would hand your ass to you.

Back in the day it was the same up here. If it were just a platoon level admin. parade and they felt benevolent the type writer would just stutter on your name a few times writing out the duty roster. Usually on weekends. If you were habitual or Po'd too much brass you would be charged. I've also always tried to be on time even before I enlisted---but the artillery really gets anal about timings. Go figure ??? ever heard of Galipoly (sp)?

My "fav" was the couple from out of town who just had to have this 4 hour job done on the day they were coming to town, so that they didn't have to make a second trip. I explained to her that it was a 4 hour job if everything went well and at that time of year I got lots of interruptions. " how early can you get here?". "9:30---ten o'clock latest". "Okay, but get here as soon as you can,please." Ten thirty I called her and oh yes they were almost to Brandon. " okay , well get here as soon as you can if you want it done today!" (note shift in tone). Corner to corner during rush hour it takes 30 minutes max. to cross Brandon. One o'clock I phone again  and I hear a restaurant in the background. "what's up!!?"(increase in tone---Ya dumb ?) " oh we stopped at Walmart and blah blah---we're just having a bite to eat and will be right out." . They rolled in at 2:30. " okay well go do your other errands , I'll stay late and call you just before I'm done." .  "oh we're all done now. we just need to wait for your." . I got Kudos from the boss and co-workers for being able to spin [what were mostly still  my] teeth around fast enough to not get all SGT MAJ on her dumb A$$. They were whisked away to the big shop and billed time and a half for my overtime. When the chips are down like that my diaper shows his good side LOL.

[kodydog]

I've learned not to be early. Customers think if they have an extra 10 minutes it is a good time to run to the grocery store or jump in the shower.

We showed up 10 mins early for one appointment. Knocked on the door, walked around the whole house to no answer. So we sat in the van. A couple minutes later the customer comes running up, literally. She decided to take a jog right before we got there. She acted kinda PO'd we were early.

Another time we made an appointment for a pickup 3 days in advance. Right before we left we called again and she said she was waiting. We arrived at a really nice house in a double gated community, knocked, no answer, walked around the house, no luck. We waited in the van for 15 mins then left. Later she called and explained she was called to an emergency tennis match. Someone had canceled for a foursome and she had to fill in. This same person complained when we delivered the sofa. Seems we didn't include the obligatory toss pillows and arm covers.

The funny thing is her husband was obviously a successful business man and very easy to deal with. But after he passed things kinda got weird.

[sofadoc]

Another time we made an appointment for a pickup 3 days in advance. Right before we left we called again and she said she was waiting. We arrived at a really nice house in a double gated community, knocked, no answer, walked around the house, no luck. We waited in the van for 15 mins then left. Later she called and explained she was called to an emergency tennis match. Someone had canceled for a foursome and she had to fill in.

I had a similar case once. I drove 50 miles to a customer's house just to find nobody at home. When I got back to the shop, she called and said "Sorry. But it was such a beautiful day, we just had to go for a walk. Can't you just drop back by?"

Her mother was one of my longtime customers. When I told the mother what her daughter had done, she chewed her ass out for being so thoughtless and inconsiderate.

A couple of days later, I got a check in the mail for $15 with a note saying "This is for all your trouble".

That lousy stinking check for 15 bucks pretty well sums up this whole topic.

[gene]

The ID I was referring to on my original post had set an appointment with a guy to install drapes. This was 3 weeks ago. She was a no show. She said she thought it was the next day. The installer said she offered him $20 for his gas and still expected him to show up the next day. He said the $20 was an insult, and that was the last straw with him for this ID and he will no longer work with her.

The window treatment workshop for whom I was going to make the cornice boards has also cut ties with this person.
-----------------------------------------

It drives me insane the way people are now days. A total lack of respect for others.
End of Rant.

I second Chris' rant. Yesterday morning a pick up truck is parked in from of my business. (No parking spots in front of the building. The parking spots are 10 feet away from the building.) I went over to the guy who has recently rented the unit beside mine. I said "Good morning." I said "please" and "thank you" as I asked him to move his truck. I started to explain why I don't want him parking in front of my business and he just started yelling. Actually yelling.

He's going to do what he wants, when he wants, and to hell with everyone else!

I told him I asked politely. I told him I have never parked in front of his business. I told him I'll take it up with the landlord.

I've only had a two other a$$holes that I've had problems with,at this location, and they both stiffed the owner on their rent.

gene