Good Morning!
My brother and I realized that despite the fact we live less than an hour apart, we had not seen each other since the end of December when his youngest son got married in Boston. In addition, he had not checked out my new digs. To remedy that, he called and promised to swing by on his way down to Cape Cod where he is planning to retire in a few months. The only trouble is, I had a tight schedule and a small window to see him.
Fortunately, he’s a Farquharson.
What does it say to you when a doctor keeps you waiting?
How does it make you feel about the company when a package arrives late…very late?
And how do you think it looks to a customer when you tell them you will be there at a certain time but then waltz in 10 minutes after that?
To some people, being late is a habit and not a big deal. To others (read: Farquharson’s), it’s a sin. The family I grew up in was annoyingly punctual and did not tolerate tardiness. As a result, my kids are the same way. Sorry, girls. It makes it difficult when we are around people who—gulp—think otherwise. Hypothetically, let’s say my hypothetical wife was hypothetically not a stickler for time (hypothetically speaking, of course). I might then pad my departure time estimations accordingly.
FedEx said, “When it absolutely needs to be there tomorrow.” Amazon continued with two—and now one—day shipping. It means something.
Be on time for your appointments. It matters.
Under-estimate and over-deliver on orders. It makes a difference.
Being on time builds trust. Being late kills it. This is an insanely minute detail that does not go unnoticed. Suddenly, a client is buying more from you because she knows your word is gold. If you say it’ll be there Tuesday, it’s there. If you say you’ll arrive at a certain, she can take that to the bank.
Just like a Farquharson.
Andy said he’d arrive at 1pm. I had a 1:40pm call and wanted to have time to show him the house and have a quick visit. It was raining. I was needlessly worried.
He arrived at 12:59.
