The next time anyone, including yourself, wants to complain about how much money you make, think about this quote from Henry Ford. He was the guy who made cars and you could have any color you wanted as long as it was black.
Henry Ford said, “It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages.”
Keep that in mind when you are tempted to not return a phone call or to show up for an appointment late (or not at all). Keep it in mind when you decide, “I will sweep up tomorrow after we are done with__!” Keep it in mind if you drive a vehicle that is dripping oil and leaves a black spot on the customers driveway.
Our product in construction is everything we say and everything we do. You can’t pick and choose what you think is important because what you think is important may not matter one bit to the customer.
Estimating Profitably — Ten Tips to Improve Your Estimating Skills
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The economy is slowly getting better. Read our Ten Cardinal Rules and make sure you are not doing the things that drive potential clients away.
The Bottom Line:
Your customer does. Not you, and not your business. As Henry Ford put it, employers only handle the money; the customer pays the wages. That’s why every returned call, on-time appointment, and clean jobsite matters — in construction, your product is everything you say and do. The article connects it to treating clients like the people who sign your paycheck.
Related Articles:
Ten Cardinal Rules for Construction Business Owners
Trucks, Phones and Language
Setting Priorities
The knowledge and experience Michael Stone gained in his 60+ years in construction has helped thousands of contractors improve their businesses. He is the author of Markup & Profit Revisited, Profitable Sales, and Estimating Construction Profitably, and is available for one-on-one consultations. More here.
