40+FAB Blog

Just recently, I had the unpleasant experience of having to deal with a company that provided a quote to fix my central heating in my property. The process to engage them was smooth, and the engineer came out as expected. However, when he analysed the problem, he pointed out several things that were wrong and gave a quote of over £2000 to fix the fault.

As the price was way more that expected I sought a second company to quote on the job. They came out, analysed the problem in minutes and charged only £300 to get the new part to repair the one thing that was broken. The first company then sent an invoice and they decided to charge me £250 for coming out to assess the problem as opposed to the £99 advertised on thier website.

I felt robbed in this situation and taken advantage of by this company who were less than honest in any part of thier value proposition to thier customers. They wielded this power like a weapon because they provide a service that the customer could never carry out for themselves. As I seethed in anger, it crossed my mind to think about ways that I might have been a work-robber rather than a workman with the skills I have to offer to my clients, employers or even family and friends.

It is true that our skills, knowledge, expertise, and experience to solve a problem for others can indeed become the very tools that we use to short-change them. I can’t do much about how this company has robbed me, but it has made me more determined to show up with my skill as a genuine workman and not a work-robber.