BATTLESHIPS KEEP COMING
So I’ve been a bit overwhelmed lately and have been quite discouraged with services offered by those that call themselves professionals. We all know the old saying “If you want to get it done right, do it yourself”. Even though that unfortunately applies to multiple things, it’s not always applicable due to lack of special tools, man-power, equipment or skills. Sometimes it’s just necessary for us to depend on other people.
Part of the reason we employ others is to reduce our personal stress over the issues. This also is a good way to redistribute income into local businesses providing goods and services. These concepts only work if the job is done with excellence as you expect the professionals to do a much better and more efficient job than you can do yourself. Lately I’ve been more stressed by the professionals than helped and it has not been cost efficient.
A few recent examples where portions of the experience were unprofessional and required confrontation:
Appliance delivery - wrong delivery days, split orders, damaged items, rough installation experience…
Carpet installation - scheduling issues, billing surprises, stock changes, size issues…
Motor/Transmission Repair - told me what I already diagnosed and charged me without being able to fix it
Mustang Repair - communication issues, didn’t fix correctly, wasn’t timely…
Timeshare Resort - terrible customer service, room issues, sales issues…
Timeshare Resort 2 – construction all around us during much needed peaceful stay, management issues…
Airline Baggage Lost – you know the drill
Heat Pump Installation – 3 days turns to 16+ days, wrong equipment, not supervised, billing, sloppy work…
Government Employees – self explainable (extra people are employed for the purpose of fixing their mistakes)
Sponsors – Leading on and then changing their minds, bad communication…
Tree Service – dropped tree on power line, damaged house, lied about insurance coverage, pending charges…
I’m a pretty bold guy so I won’t hesitate to communicate in whatever ways are necessary if a job isn’t done correctly. You’re paying for it so it should be done with excellence right? I don’t cuss…I don’t yell… I’m just very articulate and firm to communicate what is expected and agreed upon. The problem is that I don’t like being the bad guy all the time. I like being the encourager. I like telling someone that they did a great job (that they are supposed to do anyways) and maybe even give them some extra encouragement or even a bonus. I don’t think my expectations are too high. If you quote me ABC then give me ABC… not XYZ. It’s just simple 1 + 1 type stuff to me. Even though logically it seems easy, I don’t understand why people have such a hard time doing their job… and doing it with excellence. I’m saying these things after giving a butt load of grace to allow error space because nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes. Thank God that He has given me a lot of grace. That doesn’t give a permission slip to take advantage of those giving you grace.
Too many nice people get completely run over because they want to avoid conflict and I just don’t think that’s a Biblical concept. I can quote verses in both directions where we need to be firm but also need to give grace. It comes down to discernment but at the end of the day, both parties are accountable for their actions on some level. I would just like to have more faith in people that they can be counted on. I don’t want to expect the worst in people but regular occurrences tend to discourage employing outside sources to do things that I can do myself. I would just like to have peace. Peace = Do job with excellence, as quoted, in a timely fashion with a professional process throughout the entire experience. It’s tough enough trusting your stuff to other people. It’s like leaving your kid at the hospital… there is stress regardless, there is a bill to pay and your peace is limited until you get that kid home safe and sound and the bill is paid! Stuff is very similar but it’s still just stuff!
“You can be right in the position that you hold and wrong in the disposition in which you hold it”
“Whatever you do, work at it with your whole heart, as working for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24