Page 175 - Paulisms: Gold Nuggets for Small Business

Paulism: Instead of just fixing the problem by fixing the problem, capture the issues and frequency of it occurring. Then sit down as a team to discuss why and come up with a solution to actually fix the problem long term.
7.3 How dare you compromise my time
Tradespeople are notorious for being late and never turning up on time, or in some cases, not turning up at all. This is not the case for all tradespeople, but their reputation precedes them and it is an issue in the industry. My apologies to those that have higher standards.
What some tradespeople don’t realise is that turning up on time, along with tidiness, presentation and doing a good job, offsets price issues. It adds value and trust. It means price is not much of an issue on the next job.
So, turn up on time and have stronger communication. For example, ring ahead as a matter of courtesy if running late and remember not to compromise another people’s time.
I must admit my time management wasn’t always the best. However, creating good habits like working my diary hard and later scheduling into Outlook on my PC or iPhone for appointments, even years out (see Part 2: Chapter 4.1.1) has ensured I turn up on time and don’t compromise other people’s time. I now pride myself on being there on the dot! I hate being late. I worked on creating a habit.