Character Counts!🧐

     Do you remember when product quality meant something? When your word was your bond? When a contract was sealed with a hand-shake And was always honored? I can hear you say, “Those days are long gone. Get over it, already!” Listen to me scream back, “Why?” What happened to taking pride in what you produce/manufacture/sell/do? Did mass-production eliminate the incredible satisfaction in a job well-done? Have we eliminated completely the feeling of accomplishment and pride? Obviously, mass production allows the manufacturer to sell more to realize larger profits. Who doesn’t want more profit? But what is sacrificed toward that end?

     Let me tell you a story about an old school experience my husband and I had soon after we bought our home. As with most of us who buy a new home, we had a lot of projects; painting, redecorating, organizing, making it our home. We had some landscaping projects we wanted to do and asked friends for referrals. One friend suggested a gentleman who had done work for him and gave him a great recommendation. We had no idea what to expect. The landscaper had a small business and did jobs mostly in his own neighborhood. He agreed to talk to us based on his relationship with the friend who referred him. His name was Scott Spaulding. He was in his early 70s and looked like someone who spent a lifetime working with plants in the warm summer sun. He was adorable. He reviewed the work we wanted done and gave us an estimate. We hired him on the spot; his price was more than reasonable, timeframe fit our schedule and we really liked him-more than anyone else who gave us an estimate for the job. My husband asked him if he needed us to sign a contract and give him a down payment. Scott smiled and asked if a handshake would be all right. We shook on it. The job was done on time, perfectly and we didn’t have to go into debt to do it. We continued to use Scott several times over the next few years. Each time all that was needed was a handshake. Mr. Spaulding was a man of honor, his word was his contract, his bond.

     We have had occasion to hire other handy persons, installers, painters over the years. Some have been good, most have been adequate, at best. Some have been down right con artists. We discovered the Honey Do businesses are not the best option. Sometimes the workers they hire are unqualified. The service usually has a set half day fee and the job you need done takes longer than half a day. Or… or… your list is several small jobs that have to be whittled down to only one or two things. If you want to  complete the original list, you have to sign up for another half day. The work gets done well enough or it’s only partially completed. We had a guy come back (free of further charge) three additional times to sand the drywall mud on a patch he put over a hole in the basement bath ceiling. I finally told him it was fine as I envisioned even more trips to get it finished. He left plaster dust Everywhere. It took me two days to clean it up.

     A company we called for an estimate on some tree trimming sent a guy who actually wrote his estimate on a piece of paper, folded it and handed it to my husband. We got so we could tell how serious someone was about doing the work by how high the estimate was. If it was totally outrageous, instead of saying “I’m not interested in your project”, they would give an estimate three times higher than they figured we would ever pay. One guy told me he deserved to make a profit after he offered an estimate of $1,600 for a half day job to clean up a flower bed, put in a small border and add fill dirt. The materials cost less than $75 and we did the manual work ourselves – for free. Wish someone had been paying us. We would have made $1,500, at least.

     I’m sitting in a recliner right now. My husband had a problem with a statin he was taking a few years ago. He had horrible side-effects that caused immense pain necessitating the need to get his legs elevated during the day. We went to a  local store for a very high end furniture maker. We made the decision to each get motorized recliners mainly because of ease of operation. We didn’t have to “kick” them to lock the leg rests into place, something my husband absolutely could not do at the time. Big name, big bucks, big reputation. Fast forward. My recliner is more chair than recliner as it doesn’t recline anymore. The leg rest is completely broken so no legs up. We unplugged it to see what was wrong so no lumbar or neck support and the upholstery looks downright shabby. We figured big name, big reputation, quick fix, right? They’ll fix it, all right, for a minimum of  $200. I have a real problem putting any more money in this chair. It was too expensive in the first place. We had to replace the controller almost immediately because it stopped working. My husband had problems with his chair as well and they made a house call to fix it. I could use a good recliner to help ease the arthritis in my knees, neck, back and hands. Right now, I’m using two wedge pillows, one for my back and another one to rest my feet on, get them kind of elevated. There seems to be no pride in workmanship or the company’s reputation. My husband was told there really is nothing they can do, even after he explained our situation. I guess it’s just easier to replace the chair than make something that lasts. I’m left trying to decide what to do; get a new, less expensive, recliner or get this one fixed for a minimum of $200 and be without a chair for as long as it takes to fix.

    Bring back integrity! Bring back character! Stop accepting mediocrity! When I was in the business world I had a plaque on my desk that said “Any job worth doing is worth doing well.” What we do in life matters. How we present ourselves in the world matters. If your name (brand) is on a product or service, stand behind it. Stand up for it! My husband and I never thought of using any other landscaper because Scott Spaulding had integrity. Just because the world seems to be moving faster and is more crowded it doesn’t mean how you interact isn’t important. Don’t believe if you lose a client because of your inefficiency or poor workmanship there will always be another one. Perhaps someday there won’t be.