What the partners of Leicestershire based
have learnt during 12 years of running a small business.
Actually, these lessons were learnt well before Morgan Gleave Art & Design came into being...
When visiting another person's home to cost a job a significant number of
trades people forget how to show other people respect.
This is a little reminder of how to be a respectful guest.
1) DO NOT patronise your potential customer(s).
It does not make you appear more knowledgable. It just makes you seem like a...well a...you know...a...
2) DO NOT stink to high heaven of BO or anything else unpleasant.
Ensure that every orifice is pleasantly fragrant.
(Especially avoid tripe, baked beans and sprouts. As for eating them all together, well...)
You fail, and as soon as the front door closes on you, the air freshener will be out and in action.
You fail, and as soon as the front door closes on you, the air freshener will be out and in action.
Leave a trail of stinky haze behind you, and there is little chance of being invited back, no matter how agreeable your quote.
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| Mmmmm - perhaps this is going a little far. But then again, maybe not... |
It is rude.
You will make at least one person very cross.
You will be punished.
You will lose work.
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| Ignore her at your peril! |
4) DO NOT behave as if your potential customer is an idiot.
If the answer to a query seems obvious to you, take a minute to remind yourself that you have your skills and they have their own skills.
They may not be able to install central heating or whatever you do, but they may be able to prepare a case for court or surgically remove a tumour from a brain.
What if s/he is a dentist and you find yourself in a surgery, mouth open, syringe coming closer, closer, closer... ?
Never mind, administering the anaesthetic is always the most painful part of dentistry. Well, it is usually...unless the dentist is not in the best of moods...
Never mind, administering the anaesthetic is always the most painful part of dentistry. Well, it is usually...unless the dentist is not in the best of moods...
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| Pretty yellow hat for him. Does clash with her blue/green one. Perhaps they should co-ordinate... |
5) DO NOT trail mud, dog poo, chewing gum or anything else yucky through someone's nice clean home.
Your name will be mud - or more likely, poo...
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| Do you think that mud and...er...the other stuff...would show on this carpet? |
Pets are part of people's families and you will lose serious Brownie
Points if you diss them.
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| Who could be mean about these little poppets? Surely they are both angels and never put a paw wrong... |
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| ... but Evil Kitty on the other hand... Best not cross him! |
7) DO NOT flirt with a potential customer.
You may well lose the customer.
On the other hand, perhaps you will gain a customer and get yourself into a pickle....
Look at them all! Does anyone listen to advice? No they do not!
Well, they will just have to get themselves out of any pickles they get into.
Oh my giddy aunt! Look at those two below...well! We all know what sort of pickle they will be in!
Oh well, this is being loaded on St Valentine's Day...
8) DO NOT suggest that your fee will be lower if you are paid in cash or that the householder could claim from their insurance by lying about the cause of the problem.
Not everybody is dishonest and you will lose the job.
The rational behind the decision will be that if you are willing to fiddle HMRC or an insurance company, then surely you will be willing to fiddle the householder.
Further, you do not know who you are speaking to. A tax inspector for example...
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Absolutely not! This is not an imaginative invitation
to a saucy party with the couple above!
It is a WARNING
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| A totally irrelevant image here for no good reason. |
9) DO NOT swear or make any -ist remarks (sexist, racist etc).
It is not big and it is not clever.
It will offend people and it will lose you work.
Think before you speak!
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What is the norm for you may really
shock and offend someone else
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10) DO NOT tell your potential customer your life story.
They are not interested no matter how politely they listen.
They just want you to complete your task as quickly as possible and then clear off and leave them in peace.
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sure that you have talked too much. |
You may find 10 Things Not To Do at a Business Event useful too.
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