Chivalry, Customer Service and Other Dead Things

I'm sure you've had to call some professional office, whether it's your bank or doctor's office, and you get the dreaded menu of what number to press to get to where you might be able to get to a shorter menu that might be able to get you to a live person. I never wanted to operate one of those types of businesses. I would rather be placed on hold for a minute or less listening to great hold music, than to have to attentively listen to a menu that may not be helpful. 

My husband has very different views of customer service. He is from a small town in Mississippi where your word is your contract. If you say you are going to do it, then you get it done. They have no regard for the process in which they complete the task, nor the time in which they complete it, but they will get it done. My husband owns and operates an auto mechanic shop, as well as a computer tech company, all while maintaining his duty to our country as a US Marine Corps Master Sargent. While he is currently off orders, he had a customer solicit his mechanic shop for a major repair. My husband exhibits traits of adult ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and often multi tasks to the point of non productivity. He has difficulties staying focused on the task at hand. While he was committed to completing the vehicle, there were major breakdowns in his methods. As his wife it doesn't matter that I may know something about business, at the end of the day he does what most husbands do....totally ignores the somewhat business rantings of his wife. He ordered parts for the vehicle (after having it parked outside his shop for 4 days which he told the customer was a 4 day job to complete) and they did not all come in. Rather than finding another supplier, he dealt with the same parts supplier. He then realized he needed additional tools, so he purchased them as he went along (instead of altogether when he determined he would need more tools). While working on this vehicle, he also begin working on items he needed to complete for the military, as well as worked on his personal network. Meanwhile the client is riding around in a rental car at the rate of $25/day. My husbands southern work ethics, drove him to push to complete the vehicle without considering breaks and mealtimes for himself. Due to low blood sugar, he began dropping tools and bolts under the hood of the vehicle. One tool fell and ruptured a hose that led to the vehicles air conditioning unit and leaked freon all over the ground. As you can probably determine, you can't just replace the hose, you have to replace the entire unit, which was $200. He then had to purchase another piece of equipment to replace the freon. This added an additional 3 days onto the time of the completion of the vehicle. It was now 20 days total that he had the vehicle, and there was no end in sight. The client remaining calm (even at having to pay the cost of $25/day for a rental car) but was losing his patience. I then had to step in and take the vehicle to another shop who had the manpower and time to complete the vehicle, as my husband had a meeting and it would have cost the client an additional day. It cost an additional $200 to have another shop complete the repairs. So now my husband is out $400 on the cost to repair the vehicle, and the $200 I threw in to get the vehicle back to the client. 

There is no way this will be profitable!!! So after discussing with those in my social and business network, they've all suggested one thing....take over his customer service for him! Customer service, operations, business etiquette-how to do business in the California market, the list goes on and on. It's very difficult to offer help to someone who doesn't feel there needs to be a change. So for now, I simply focus on school, my businesses, and paying clients.