A Handyman Who Wasn't

Now Let Me Get This Straight

I guess you might file this one under "unclear on the concept."

I called a guy Tuesday morning to find out what he would charge to do a side job that I didn't want to do. The faucet in the kitchen decided to hiss a leak and I was willing to pay a fair wage to a guy to do the job for me. I had never met the guy, but his name had been brought up on an email list that my wife participates in that essentially intertwines a whole bunch of moms in our Edgewater neighborhood. Since I had not heard back from the handyman that I usually use from a message I had left the previous day, I decided to try this guy. To his credit he answered the phone. But what happened next is puzzling.

A Couple of Questions and Then the Line Went Dead

"Where do you live?" he asked. "Corner of Rosemont and Wayne." He spat back, "I charge $80 an hour." "Fine," I responded, I just wanted the hissing leak to desist to allow the kitchen to come back to order. Then he mumbled something undecipherable and the line went dead. You know how a second later you can kind of piece together what someone mumbled even though the first time through you didn't quite catch it? Relying on this secondary line of auric reasoning I was able to figure out he said either "I gotta go" or "Pasta mostaciolli." Since we hadn't been talking about Italian food, I am leaning toward the "gotta go" theme. But that was at 8am.

Attitudes, Aptitudes, Recession, Resolve

What an odd way to run a business amid a recession. It's especially odd when I started the conversation by saying, "You were recommended..." I don't run my business like that. And so when I come across somebody that does, it stuns me. Whether it is a fellow Chicago real estate professional or a handyman, an auto mechanic or a landscaper, I expect folks to be either at the top of their game or striving to get there. What I don't expect is a "devil may care" attitude that could be interpreted to reflect disregard or disdain for me. What I do expect is someone who really loves what they are doing and, if they are in business for themselves, they want to impress me so much that I won't be able to help but scream their name loud and clear to the next person who is looking for the service or product that they provide. Which is exactly what I want the buying and selling clients that I represent in the Chicago real estate market to do after we work together.

Referrals from Past Clients

And that's exactly what Dave and Candace did last week when they referred Karen to me. I sold Dave and Candace's home in Chicago's East Village last April. And as with all of my clients, I keep in regular contact with them. And they keep in touch with me, letting me know if they have questions about property taxes, home projects, and what's going on with the market. They also keep in touch with me when family or friends are looking to buy or sell a place in the city. Which is how I met Karen. After talking with Karen on the phone, emailing her an overview of how I conduct my business and the manner in which I integrate current technologies and stay abreast of new and emerging technologies to market my listings to veritably ensure page one google status under a variety of search terms, Karen said she was impressed. So much so that she is going to list her Kenwood multi-unit condo quality building with me and is giving thought to how my technique might enhance the listing of her delightful high end River Forest single family in Chicago's west suburbs.

One's Passion Always Shows Through

Here's the thing - I LOVE WHAT I DO. It's fun, it's challenging, it brings me in contact with some amazing people who become woven into the fabric of my life. And when I meet somebody who approaches what they do with the same passion, I cherish them and tell folks about them. Like the guy who runs my favorite coffee shop, Metropolis. Or my favorite organic bakery, Bleeding Heart Bakery. Or my favorite mechanic, Marvin's at 1848 W Belmont in Roscoe Village. Or any other number of places where they call you back, show up on time, do what they say they're going to do when they say they're going to do it. Where they simply make a habit of exceeding expectations. That, to me, is what we are supposed to do. Whether we are waiting tables, teaching kids, snapping photographs, or tying words together in a blog. Set the bar higher and perform! I see people all over doing just this, so when the recommended handyman dumped my call and never called me back, it was a bit baffling. But instead of crying over a leaky faucet, I nabbed a replacement faucet from Home Depot in Lincoln Park, cleared out below the sink, got the tools I needed and fixed the darned thing myself. Even did it between showing my listing at 200 North Jefferson, discussing a new rental listing on Lake Shore Drive in Lakeview, and following up with new listing clients of a fantastic duplex up condo for sale in Bucktown. The funny thing is, when it was all said and done, I kind of enjoyed replacing the faucet. Not so much that I intend to leave my day job, but enough to do it well and do it right and earn the accolades of my wife and sons. All in a day's work, I suppose.