Pay from your pocket | Work Series

The job required detailed craftmanship for restoring it to its original glory. My dad would do the final inspection before every delivery, which included a thorough inspection both inside and out and test driving the car. One of the steps involved was ‘listening’ to the cars’ sound. Yes. Long before the electronic diagnosis tools were invented, the car engine and transmission checks were initially done through listening. Every car had its distinct tune, and my dad was well-versed with most cars of the time, like being familiar with the sound of different musical instruments.

My dad felt a bit uneasy about the sound as though a note was missing in the melody. He got under the hood (literally and metaphorically) to get to the cause. To his surprise, two of the four tires’ surface thickness were slightly off, making the car sink just a bit on one side.

The delivery time was up. The customer was expected to pick his car. It was too late for rescheduling. Although the tires were not part of the scope, and the client wouldn’t have noticed anything either, delivering a car with that minor defect didn’t seem right for my dad. Not wasting any time, he got his technician to find matching tires in depth and make and got them replaced.

The car passed the next test drive.

The customer, also very detailed, after a thorough inspection, was very pleased with the results. Along with the car, my dad also returned the old tires and gave him the final bill. The new tires surprised him.

As the customer looked over each line, my dad could see a trace of skepticism on his face but soon found it fading away to something that could be a cross between surprised and pleased.

My dad didn’t charge the customer for the new tires. It was from his pocket.

He had this customer for life.

That age was different – no social media, no influencers, no endorsement. My dad didn’t do any advertisement. His business thrived on trust and reputation.

Trust and reputation are timeless. The same principle applies even today. No growth hack or brilliant marketing ideas. It’s simple but not easy (not always).

• Promise what you will do
• Do what you promised
• Repeat

No matter what profession you are in, if you deliver quality consistently, trust and reputation will follow.
Thank you for sharing some of your precious time with me each week. Leave a comment if you liked it.
With gratitude, until next week.
Razak