Why Is it so hard to just say, "I have to meet by X time", ahead of time?

[Mocha]

I beg everyone's pardon in advance for being such a Krampus this week, but I'm back to my old stomping grounds in Florida and the overall spazzy behavior here can sour even the best of moods. I hate that I can't tolerate the state I grew up in so much. Business and personal. People here are just so disrespectful, and treat escorts like garbage out the dumpster.

 

So, after having spent all afternoon meditating after the fact a seemingly good client bullshitted his way out of a well planned session this morning...I decided I'd take one more call (texts) for the night. Now, from 7 pm to midnight...this conversation continues. I made sure to re-read thru them to make sure I was responding timely. I actually was. But there was a two hour period I stopped responding because he did not give me the info I needed to go to the hotel. He simply said he'd "get back to me" after his party. So, I continued to work on my website and not get too worked up over it. Trying to keep my stress and blood pressure under control.

 

Well then, almost 11 I get a text saying to come over. Then, it becomes urgent. In the heat of the night. He has an early day and I have to get there by 12. There happens to be 30 miles away at a mega-Hilton resort. I call him, and tell him that there was never a time constraint given from the start. And I have to explain to him and just be real, Everytime I come to Florida, you people make me wait all day, then expect me to run around and chase after like a goddamn headless chicken at the last minute.

 

He turned out to be a really fun/talented client, but it could have ended up being like today. Now...granted I do sometimes like to ask, "what's the earliest and what's the latest you can meet", but when someone isn't being thorough or indicative of any time sensitivity in their communication, taking 4 hours to give me a goddamn name and room number to the hotel, how the fuck am I supposed to know they have a plane to catch at 6 am?

 

Just fucking say it from the get go! I don't like people treating me like some Uber service. Most of the people I know who do Uber late night last minute are also doing meth and Coke. So if a client wants some spaghetti dick man showing up at the door, then by all means. But that's not me.

[N13]

You are in the wrong business. Negative after negative after negative. Stop whining and complaining all the time and question whether your attitude is the major contributing factor to all of your distress.

[AdamSmith]

This is why you charge them money.

 

My clients do this all the time. Example: consulting project with an expected 6-month schedule. Two months into it, I get a frantic call from the client: "Sorry, we just realized our new parent company is on a different fiscal year than we were, so this all has to be wrapped up in 30 days."

 

So for the next month, instead of sleeping or anything else, I work. I deliver barely on time and save their necks. I get paid. Next time they come back to me with more work because I helped them out instead of bitching and being difficult.

 

There must be some line of work where these irritations don't happen but I haven't found it yet.

[+ MasssageGuy]

Well I don't think FloiDUAH has a monopoly on spazzy behavior.

 

Sometimes you got to go with the flow. That being said, I do think all the barrage of Fox News hate and intolerance does as some level contribute to our lack of respect for each other has humans and citizens.

[MikeyGMin]

If you know the issues that commonly surface -- especially ones that drive you crazy -- you should try heading them off. Ask them right away if they have time constraints.

 

You also have to roll with your location. Any working guy in Vegas has got to know they are going to get a lot of those late night, I want you now, hotel calls. It's the nature of Vegas.

 

If you're working LA, you have to consider that someone can easily be two hours away even though they are just on the other side of the town.

 

If clients in Florida tend to have a certain behavior, anticipate it and try to deal with it ahead of time. Otherwise, being in a service industry is going to make you bat shit crazy because the clients aren't going to change. You have to develop a coping strategy.

[+ sync]

You are preaching to the choir. During the time I was employed I was cast into several different positions. Customer service was hands-down the worst of the hells.

[MiamiLooker]

http://patrick.net/content/uploads/2015/07/broken-record.jpg

[+ MasssageGuy]

http://patrick.net/content/uploads/2015/07/broken-record.jpg

Wonder how many people today even know what a record is? I haven't played an LP in years.

 

Even in my various Project Management positions, getting folks to live up to their commitments and be on time was a bitch. However, when I delivered projects on time and on budget to save their behinds, they gave me lots of repeat business.

[bigvalboy]

http://www.interstate-guide.com/images295/i-295_fl_nt_09.jpg

[+ purplekow]

Maybe you were his back up plan

[Mocha]

The thing with the type of situation I mentioned, is it doesn't bring repeat business. They're the type just in the moment. Also, forgoing food and sleep and breaking my back when being offered only $150 when I have to pay $18 to park for an hour is certainly not worth the sacrifice. Again, when I explained that, I was able to stand by my full donation. Seems the more firm I am, the more they behave. Time to get into bdsm maybe lol. I would love to beat some guys up into submission lol.

 

 

There's certain states like Arizona that I'll always plan to visit two or more different cities/townships within the same State and everyone behaves and does shit normally. Ditto with Wisconsin. Can't do that in Florida because there's so much impatience and insecurity. One has to wonder why.

[Mocha]

This is why you charge them money.

 

My clients do this all the time. Example: consulting project with an expected 6-month schedule. Two months into it, I get a frantic call from the client: "Sorry, we just realized our new parent company is on a different fiscal year than we were, so this all has to be wrapped up in 30 days."

 

So for the next month, instead of sleeping or anything else, I work. I deliver barely on time and save their necks. I get paid. Next time they come back to me with more work because I helped them out instead of bitching and being difficult.

 

There must be some line of work where these irritations don't happen but I haven't found it yet.

 

Well that's great you're accommodating your clients in the type of business you're in. You may get paid $5,000 plus incentives to make that deadline. But imagine doing all that and only getting offered $150. But in my case, I wasn't being bitchy and difficult. Don't even think for five seconds that I was being bitchy and difficult. I drove 150 mph in a 45 mph zone and could have killed a few people, got a ticket, or 20 years in jail because his dumb ass was thinking with his dick. If that's not being accommodating then I don't know what the Fuck is.

 

My point is, these clients push us over the edge because they want us to be an option instead of a priority, but don't realize the stress they put on us. The fact that I arrived with an instant hard on and shot a huge load on his Face afterwards is nothing short of a miracle. And I definitely made sure I got paid more than $150 for it.

[jimboivyo]

In those instances I just flat out don't schedule them. If I'm not worth their time then they're not worth my time and I will not be afraid to state that. It will depend greatly upon how you operate and manage your business. I'm in the game of scheduling in advance rather than taking clients on demand. If a client doesn't have an exact time but a time range, I'll still work with them. But I gather all the necessary information ahead of time prior to meeting so I have my game plan setup in advance.

 

If this type of behavior is something that is frustrating and becoming stressful for you, maybe its time to consider making changes to the way you operate your business.

 

 

this is how a pro handles his business. take notes op.

[Mocha]

If I'm not worth their time then they're not worth my time and I will not be afraid to state that. I'm in the game of scheduling in advance rather than taking clients on demand. If a client doesn't have an exact time but a time range, I'll still work with them.

 

If this type of behavior is something that is frustrating and becoming stressful for you, maybe its time to consider making changes to the way you operate your business.

 

You made a good point. I actually took your advice (and what I have been tempted to implement before these issues even revealed themselves) today and made it clear on my ad that a minimum of 2 hours notice (that's being generous) to be given. It worked. Got a call today and he didn't even try to ask me to come "NOW". South Americans "seem" much more time considerate. Maybe North Americans can take notes on THAT. Patience.

 

The thing is, I like to believe that most people who call are calling within a realm of common sense. That I'm not just vegetating in a hotel room, phone in hand, ready to go at the drop of a dime. My family is here, but I can't afford to visit Florida and not see any clients. Now...it's different when I'm in either of my 2 home cities at either of my apartments. I don't usually ask for 2 hours notice because I can usually accomodate short notice, but even then I don't like too much of the last minute stuff either.

 

But when I'm in Orlando and the drive is like L.A. Distances and the hotels are Las Vegas big...I simply can't do last minute stuff. And you would think people are aware of that. Nope. In the future when I come to Florida, I'm def going to have to make it clear I'm not doing the Daytona 500 to their hotel room because they can't be patient and want to wait till the last minute.

 

this is how a pro handles his business. take notes op.

 

Stop. It's redundant and annoying to piggyback and reiterate something before I can even respond to it.