I just had to blog this!

Hi Everyone,

I hope you all have had a good week. Mine's been "&%$^#@" AWFUL. It all started with a computer upgrade and ended with weeks and weeks of extra work for me to do because I lost everything bar my documents folder. What a disgraceful nuisance and COSTLY muck-up. I spent just on a thousand dollars and ended up with a system that didn't work! Not only didn't work, but empty of all the stuff I use regularly. Then he had the gall to infer it was my fault for wanting a faster system and I was hard to please!!!! Blimey ~ I wonder why?

Please note that I am trying to be a lady and not blog how mad I am! I'm still so flamming cranky and upset over this everytime I have to go back and reload programmes, redo logins, download links ~ I fear that I will never get some of these programmes back that I had bought and put 'on hold' to learn or use at a later date. Frankly, its been a right-royal "cockup".

And guess what? He's one contractor who'll never be allowed again within a "cooee" of my systems.

But let's look at all the things he did wrong dispassionately:

1. He didn't have the required expertise and didn't let the client know. He tried bluffing his way through.

Suggestion: Very rarely works ~ Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy.

2. When the job went 'belly up' he should have contacted the client and asked for directions.

Suggestion: Instead of trying to cover up the job, he should have contacted the client immediately for further directions instead of making a bad situation worse. There was a point of no-return and he crossed it without authorisation. Never be afraid of 'losing face' if you make an error. It's a whole lot worse if you go 'gung-ho' and a darn sight harder to fix. The problem doesn't go away ~ it grows!

3. If the client's unhappy ~ walk backwards to try to fix the problem instead of inferring that the problem is theirs! If the client hasn't got what they paid for or thought they were going to have, then find out nicely what they were expecting and look for ways to rectify the situation.

Suggestion: Communicate with the client at all steps. Walk them with you honestly. That way they stay informed and you don't get 'bad mouthed' or called back ~ or both.

4. If you can't do something, or haven't done something like it before or just plain don't know how~ Tell the client so! Don't bluff.

Suggestion: People respect people ~ especially tradespeople ~ who are straight up honest. There is absolutely no shame in not knowing how to do something. Offer a solution in the form of a workmate who does know. Networking is a great standin for these situations.

But there's shame and blame when you ruin a work project or upset people's lives through being too egostistical and big-headed to admit uncertainty and lack of knowledge.

Learning is an ongoing process in life and it's up to each of us to learn. Believe me, it's a darn sight cheaper all round if you don't learn from mistakes. Especially when those mistakes cost someone else. Why should someone else pay for your learning?

Well, I'd better get back and continue to download some of the programmes I've noted still aren't there. Then after downloading and getting the registration keys to unlock them, then I have to redo all my login information ~~~~ GRRRRRRRR.........

But on the upside ~ Tomorrow morning I'm taking time-out to give the "Sallies" a hand with their annual door knock appeal. So when one of the volunteers rings your bell ~ be nice and empty your coin jar for them :-) ~ It's a good cause and helps people to help themselves get back on their feet again.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Warmly,
Jan-ConstructingProfits
www.constructingprofits.com

PS
This wouldn't have been such a major disaster if I had done backups regularly. So part of this disaster is of my own making. If I had been doing regular backups, then I wouldn't have lost so much. So backup, backup and then BACKUP your systems several times a week. And have alternate disks because they can fail too.

PPS
But he should have known and done a complete systems backup as a precaution before he even opened up the computer. After all, I was paying for his expertise.