I am actually starting to worry that my boss will realize I am not performing well and have me fired very soon because during my first interview with him, he had this to say to me...
"Normally a new designer like yourself will take about the first 2 months to learn the ropes before he or she will start to sign a project with a customer. If by the end of the third month, you still have not signed any projects yet, then this is probably a personal issue and you might not be suitable for this job."
The first two months didn't feel too bad, since I was still in the learning phase, I wasn't really bothered by my obvious lack of motivation to sign projects with the customer leads that were given to me by the company.
Most of the customer leads I received from the company were only in for the free non-obligatory quotation and attempting to schedule any meet up with them after informing them the quotation was ready will be met with the same replies..
"Can you send me the quotation via email first so I can take a look at it?"
... which also translate to...
"Just give me the free quotation your company has promised me, I won't reply to your texts or emails once I have received a copy of it."
Every time without fail, once I have emailed them the quotation, they just stop responding to my text completely. It will be marked ✔✔, but they will never respond back.
I was recently ignored on Whatsapp by one of my customer and what really aggravates me about that particular customer is the fact that she was the one who implied a second consultation session with me after our first session...
"You take your time to prepare, then we can meet again another time."
.... which prompted me to make sure I had all the necessary items ready for our second consultation, that includes the Quotation, Space Planning Proposal as well as some Reference pictures I could show her to give her a better understanding of what I am going to propose to her.
During our first consultation session, she had some renovation requirements that were not conventional, like installing a fish tank in her feature cabinets. I did not really bother to ask her about the fish tank specifications, thinking that installing a fish tank in a cabinet would be as simple as leaving an open space in the cabinet for the fish tank to sit in, little did I know that there was actually so much more things that had to be considered, like creating a concrete base or a metal stand for the fish tank to perch on, because simply placing it on a cabinet shelve made of plywood and supported by a few pegs will cause the entire feature cabinet to eventually collapse after a period of time from the weight of the water filled tank.
I thought instead of having to quote her on a custom made cement support that will cost a few hundred bucks to fabricate, it would be better if she actually went to get a metal stand for her fish tank elsewhere that will cost below a hundred bucks, that way, she saves money and I don't have to worry about having to create a permanent cement support fixture in her home she won't be able to move at all, so I asked her...
"Hi, may I know what fish tank you are going to get for your new home?"
... and she replies hours later with....
"Haha, I think Goldfish? Does that matter?"
Ummm....No, the species of the fishes doesn't matter because that's not what I asked. So I had to ask her again....
"Haha, not the type of fish, I meant the fish tank, because I have to check with my contractor the price it would cost to do a cement stand for you."
... and from then on she just stops responding, I see the ✔✔ go blue, not even a minute after I send her the text, so I waited, assuming she might have gone and ask her husband for the fish tank model, she never got back to me.
A few days pass without a response and by then, I had already completed the quotation and a space planning proposal for her as well as some reference image to show her. My aim was to share with her the genius idea I had that would save her a fair bit of money for her fish tank installation fiasco, so I wrote her another text on Friday asking...
"Are you free this Sunday for a second consultation?"
...hoping she would be agreeable, thinking she might have forgotten to reply to my previous text and will reply to this one.
The ✔✔ went blue, but there was no response,
It was Sunday yesterday, she did not respond to the text at all, I was worried she would show up yesterday because she had neither confirm nor reject my appointment with her, thankfully she didn't.
On one hand, I was glad she didn't because I don't want to deal with a customer who will show up for an appointment without confirmation, it is extremely irresponsible and very ignorant to assume that a designer only has you, a single customer to deal with, and when the designer isn't around when you show up, suddenly it's the designer's fault that you wasted your own time, happened before and that particular dumbass of a customer actually left a 1 Star review on the company's Facebook page, pretty fucking stupid for someone who has a University Degree.
On another hand, I was a little annoyed that my customer didn't have the basic courtesy to just reply to my text, if I am reaching out to you and you no longer require my services, don't assume that by not responding to my text, I will get the message, I mean I will get the message eventually, but you will be forever remembered in my mind as the fucktard who went the extra mile to waste my time, at least drop me a simple text informing me of your decision...
"Hi. Sorry, but I have found an Interior Designer so I don't think a second appointment will be necessary anymore. Thanks"
...that would have sufficed, I would have understood that and wish you all the best with your renovation works. But because she did not have the basic courtesy to reply to my best, here's wishing the carrot dangler all the best...
 |
| All The Best! |
....with her bulk purchase of carrots and sticks.
No comments:
Post a Comment