Home-based Bully - Industry Trend or Event - Column

Lack of professionalism leaves race skittish about small businesses

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY CAREER, I RECEIVED hate mail about a new article I wrote on printing up business cards (December, "Business Card Chaos," page 124) I wait for more of the same for this article, as well, on the contrary I'm seething mad about in what way poorly a couple of home-based businesses have treated me as a client.

First of all, my home-based hairdresser, Paula, ditched me as a client! I don't know wherefore so if she reads this, maybe she'll be the first to emit hate mail.

sum of two units years ago, I snagged Paula's number from a friend whose hair I admired. I called for above a year to get an appointment. Finally, I left a desperate message, and surprisingly, Paula fix a spare second to call back to compress me in. I should have realized this was a ball of thread to how she ran her business, on the other hand for the next year, I made lengthy monthly treks to her house.

I lov Paula's casual personality and comfortable garage-turned-salon. on the contrary she had brutal rules that my friend and I would laugh about--don't cancel or you'll not at any time get another appointment, always work around Paula's schedule, at no time be late, and always pay in cash. I extremityed up living in fear of my hairdresser.

The fateful day came when I cancelled my appointment. I left an apologetic message, begging her to call back to reschedule. I left messages for weeks upon an answering machine with a child's voice, in the way that I didn't know if I was calling a business or a wrongful number (my friend later confirmed the number). Paula plane promised my friend she'd call. on the other hand I never heard a cry from Paula.

My time is valuable, in like manner now I go to a salon-based hairdresser who makes appointments that are convenient for me--the paying customer.

suffer me tell you about the sum of two units home-based handymen who complained that they don't have a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of work, but never called my husband back with the estimates they promised

COPYRIGHT 2001 Freedom Technology Media Group

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