Ask three question of the people you meet: Can I trust you?, Are you committed to excellence?, Do you care about me? – Lou Holtz
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Early Retiree is nothing if not thorough. Not only does Early cross the t and dot the i, he crosses the f and dots the j. Upon hearing about lawsuits against a product he purchased, he called customer service.
“I want to know if I should use your product.”
“Which product is that sir?”
“Your deck paint - I see lawsuits are pending.”
“Tell me when you plan to use this product?”
“I am going to paint my deck this afternoon.”
“Don’t do that!”
“Why Not!?”
“In the summer heat the wood will not take the paint. How are you going to apply the paint?”
“By roller.”
“Don’t do that!”
“Why not!?”
“The paint will not penetrate the wood.”
“Anything else?”
“The best time to paint your deck is in the fall. Make sure there is no rain in the forecast for the following two days. And, wait 3 days before applying the second coat.”
“Is that everything?”
“Yes, you will do a better job than a professional.”
Not all these instructions are on the paint can. Lawsuits anyone?
Maybe the company feels some (professionals and do-it-yourselfers) will not use the product based on those instructions. Why? Maybe, some will not wait for fall, wait for two days without rain, or wait three days to apply a second coat.
Early followed the instructions and the deck turned out great. The Lessons learned? When preparing for a major transition or project:
It is what they do not tell you that can hurt you
Do not rely on general instructions and rules of thumb
How about you? What is your customer service/home improvement adventure? Share a story.
