I don’t understand the hours of some businesses and the choices made by some self employed/semi-self employed people.
The other day I went into my bank to deposit money and see my buddy’s brother who is “my banker.” I went during when I was taking lunch, because that was convenient for me. When I figured out he wasn’t there I got online to deposit the money.
Another personal banker abruptly grabbed me off the line and asked if I needed help and brought me to her desk. At first I thought it was because I was too damn cute to sit online with those regular folks, but that wasn’t the reason at all! She wanted to up-sell me some banking product.
I kindly informed her that I had a banker, and that I grew up with his brother so…come on you weren’t getting my business. She simply said “don’t worry about it.” I took that as, don’t worry about it anything I sell, he’ll get credit for. I ended up signing up for a debit rewards card (I haven’t done the math on it, so we’ll see if its worth it in a couple months).
Predictably, I received a phone call from my banker, asking what happened? I explained the story, and all was fixed…he got the credit after sternly asking the other banker what her problem was. But it was evidence of something else that I thought people understood.
When You Take Your Lunch Is Important for Sales
My banker was eating lunch when I was being poached by his co-worker. If your main source of clients is from pulling people off line why would you take lunch during the busiest time in a bank?
Maybe its not lunch, maybe it is when you take your day off or when you get into the office, but when you are sales your decision when not to work matters. I control my offices cold calling software, and someone asked me for a list of successful professionals. However, when I asked him when he planned on calling these assumingly busy professionals? He said mid morning. What dentist, veterinarian or doctor do you know that has time to take a cold call at 10:30am? I talked to him about making those calls either in the evening or early morning before their first client.
Another great example…ever decide that this Sunday I am going to go check out a car, and then find out the car dealership is closed? Hey Car-Dealer Owner, I am not going to buy a car on a Tuesday Evening, I may buy one on a Sunday. My dry cleaner has it right they are open all days except Tuesdays, they know that I may do laundry (well I actually don’t do laundry, but The Wife may) on a Sunday or Saturday.
Am I complaining too much? Does this make sense?
Reminds me of how the car dealerships around here used to close for the whole weekend… I think the cartel broke off eventually when one guy opened his doors on the weekend, but he first had to face violent protests with arrests and death threats…
Violent protests and death threats? Jesus you’d think he was talking smack about the teacher’s union in NJ
I’m with you. I also don’t understand why car dealers are closed on Sunday. Maybe it’s an old Blue Law within the State. Not sure. But also the dealers have to most inconvenient hours for the Repair/Maintenance shop. I almost never use them because of it.
Good post.
Repair and Maintenance! You are right, why the hell are you closed on 1230 on a Saturday – I needed an oil change at 1? Close on a Tuesday morning
This makes total sense!!! I was SOOO PISSED one time because I traveled an hour to get to a really nice Tennis shop, like the best in town, one day after work. I assumed they would be open, because what kind of place closes at 5PM. I mean they are a huge tennis store, with tons and tons of equipment. Well, I ended up having to go on the weekend. Even then I think they closed at like 2PM. Ridiculous… Rich people like tennis, and rich people usually work during the day.. When do they expect their customers to make it there!! (ok that last part was a slight generalization)…but still.
Evan,
I think you have it right. For example, I don’t see how a pharmacy can directly compete with a Walgreens or CVS without maintaining extended hours. It part of the service. You just can’t expect their volume of business and close your store at 4:30 pm M-F and not open on the weekend.
IT’s a BULL MARKET Evan! The sellers sell on THEIR own time, not the customers.
There’s just too much demand for cars and banking products for them to care. People are raking it in now!
I never did understand why banks closed on the weekends…. Most seem to be changing that now for Saturday which is good but Sunday’s are still a no go for them.
As for your banker, you never know he may have had scheduled appointments all afternoon and was just stuffing his lunch in when he could. If he did this every day then he should expect his business to get poached!
Our favorite restaurant is closed on Sunday. Since I often drop by my son’s and pick him for lunch after church, I find this disappointing…Sunday is the only day I do go out to eat, and so I rarely get to eat at this place.
On the subject of self-employed workers’s hours: One of my editors used to say freelancing is great because you get to choose your own hours — any 18 hours of the day you choose.