Welcome to what has become my, now, monthly blog! Soon to be semi-annual.
I had an interesting experience today. With the aspects of my job I never actually see customers only a few of my coworkers and some vendors that we have close working relationships with. Our office is pretty relaxed so I kick it in shorts and a t-shirt every day and my hair and beard have become somewhat grown out as of late. Imagine Tom Hanks in Castaway with slightly more clothes.
So Wilson and I were working minding our own business when, being the most technologically savvy person at the time, I was asked to help get computers online for a training class. My office is connected to one of our stores so I ended up running a cable from their modem to a wireless router. However, I left a long cable strung through the store while I was testing this solution. No problem, it was 11 am and the store opened at noon. I was considering whether I had enough time to run the cable through the ceiling or tape it down to the floor temporarily so no one would trip over it. I walked out in the store with the tape and there are two customers. Someone from the training class had left the doors open and people had walked in. The store manager wasn’t there yet and it was just me.
I stammered, “Uh hello… can I help you?” They wanted to know the price and stock on a table. I let them know that the store wasn’t open but I would never turn anyone away and I could check stock and knew most of how to ring up an order. I also apologized for my lack of professional attire that I was kept in a dark hole working on the website.
It went great though. I sold a table and 6 chairs, proving as long as you have a winning personality, you can look like a homeless man and still make money.
The real takeaway is whatever you think your job really is, that is just the task you do, your job is customer service. I heard it put this way from the company my wife works for but I think it is always something I knew innately.
Also, I kind of got a raise. Once again my negotiation skills are ridiculous. I noticed what the market for web dev was doing and though it seemed like a far gap I told my boss I wanted to be somewhere financially in two years and he got me almost halfway there. Almost the bottom end of what I was seeing the market doing but with a lot more potential. Plus there are so many benefits to my job I was happy.
Also, let me tell you my Geico story! You know how they say 15 minutes could save you 15 percent. Try FIFTY percent! I was paying $104 for 2 cars liability only. We prepaid for 6 months of Geico and it ended up $48 per month!
We took both the raise, difference of Geico savings per week, plus the money my wife brings in from her new part-time job and apply that weekly to our mortgage.
Did you know the origins of the word “mortgage” is “death pledge”? Hopefully, that will not prove true for us because we should have our mortgage paid off hopefully by June-July.
Oh yeah, also I don’t know if I mentioned in this blog that about 6 months ago I had purchased a tankless water heater. It sat in our garage for some time but then our tank water heater started leaking. So I single-handedly (with a ton of help from my brother) replaced the tank heater with the tankless. It’s thankless work I tell ya (bud-dum-ching). But seriously it was cool to actually finish a big project that doesn’t involve a computer or arts and crafts.
I leave you with that. Until next time, keep it real.
