09 Nov 2012

In recent years the economy has made everyone sensitive to job loss.  Fortunately, I’m not talking today about an employee.

We recently had a client who needs our help.  This is a level 5 environment and the county has determined that the home is not currently fit for habitation.  Unfortunately, it is human nature to rebel against anything that is imposed upon us.  And it is the nature of hoarding to deny the reality that others see.  We worked with the officer to relieve the time constraints and brought in a crew for a day of work.  After one day of work we were informed that our services would no longer be required.

How do companies handle rejection?  It is easy to be offended and act accordingly.  I have certainly seen it in my past corporate life.  That is not the company we wish to be.  We have continued working with this client to bring in an acceptable, qualified organizer to assist in our place; and we have continued as liason with the code compliance officer until another organizer can step up.  All at no cost to the client.

We had another client recently that had preconditions and other concerns that complicated and delayed the start of work.  For reasons other than government imposed deadlines there was also a very short timeline to complete the work.  We spent a lot of time assessing the work to be done, discussing the situation and otherwise advising the client.  As much as we would have liked to assist, we had to tell the client that we would not be able to do the job.

There were several reasons for this decision and it wasn’t arrived at easily, but it would not have been fair to this client or any of our other clients to have taken this job.  We continued to advise them and helped them to find appropriate people.  All at no cost.  In the end the job was done on time and under budget, and we were very pleased to receive a thank you note.

It all comes down to what kind of company do you want to be.  And what kind of company do you want to have sorting through your stuff, your life.

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About the Author


works mostly behind the scenes at Conquer the Clutter, supporting Maria's efforts to make the world a neater place to live.

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