This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
A vintage watch restorer learns a timely lesson. Hey friends, Side Hustle School listeners, community, welcome to a new episode. Welcome to the First Failure Friday episode of June, episode 2715, to be precise, 2715. Still going strong seven years later. Thanks for being out there.
And of course, in the Failure Friday segment, we look at short stories about mistakes, missteps, disasters, and of course, failure. Things that don't go as well as we hope. Expectations that turn out to be unmet. Assumptions that are proven to be faulty. And of course, what do we do in these situations?
What do we do? How do we regroup and recover? Today's short story, we're gonna go to, as I said, a vintage watch restorer. He's a passionate vintage watch restorer. In fact, he shares a cautionary tale about the importance of clear communication after a misunderstanding with a client.
And sometimes when you're doing client work, misunderstandings occur. That's just part of life. Just part of being a human and talking with other people and working with other people. Sometimes misunderstandings happen. And just like any kind of setback or difficulty, again, the question is what do we do about it?
So he learns this timely lesson. And let's just let him tell the story. His name is Hubert. I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap up. Let's consider how this might be helpful or interesting to you, or perhaps give you an idea for your own side hustle.
With that, I'll pass the microphone over to Hubert. [Music]
Hey there, fellow side hustlers. My name's Hubert, and I'm the founder of TikTok Vintage, a small business specializing in the restoration and repair of antique vintage watches. Today, I wanna share a story of a failure that taught me a valuable lesson about the importance of clear communication with your clients. A few months ago, I received an inquiry from a potential client who had inherited a rare vintage Rolex watch from his grandfather.
The watch was in poor condition and required extensive restoration work. The client and I exchanged a few emails discussing the general scope of the project and an estimated timeline. I provided a rough quote based on my initial assessment and the client agreed to move forward with the restoration. So I got to work on the watch, carefully disassembling it and meticulously cleaning and repairing each component. But as I progressed, I discovered that the watch required more extensive work than I had initially anticipated.
Some parts needed to be replaced and the case required significant refinishing to address deep scratches and dents. I completed the restoration, feeling proud of the work I had done to bring this beautiful timepiece back to life. I sent the client an email with photos of the restored watch and an invoice for the final cost, which was higher than my initial quote due to the additional work required. The client, however, was upset. He argued that the cost was significantly higher than what he had expected based on our initial communication.
He felt that I had taken advantage of him and demanded I lower the bill. Well, I was taken aback by his response and felt frustrated that he didn't seem to appreciate the level of skill and effort that had gone into the restoration. As I reviewed our email exchange, however, I realized that I had not been as clear and detailed in my communication as I should have been. I had failed to provide a detailed scope of work, outlining all the potential issues that could arise during the restoration process. I also hadn't communicated clearly about how additional work would impact the final cost.
My initial quote was too vague and I hadn't set clear expectations about the possibility of increased costs. Well, the misunderstanding escalated and the client left a negative review on my business's Facebook page, warning others about what he perceived as my dishonest pricing practices. I knew I needed to take action to resolve the situation and protect my reputation. I reached out to the client and apologized for the miscommunication. I offered to waive a portion of the final invoice as a gesture of goodwill explained in detail the reasons behind the increased costs.
I also acknowledged that I needed to improve my communication process to prevent similar misunderstandings in the future. The client did appreciate my apology and explanation and we were able to come to an agreement. He even updated his review to reflect the positive resolution of the situation. From that experience, I learned a valuable lesson about the importance of clear, detailed communication with clients. I now provide a comprehensive scope of work for each project, outlining all potential issues and associated costs.
That failure was a turning point for my business. By improving my communication practices, I've been able to build stronger, more trusting relationships with my clients. I've also implemented a more transparent pricing structure which has helped to prevent misunderstandings and disputes. So to anyone out there embarking on their own side hustle or small business journey, I encourage you to learn from my experience. Also, don't be afraid to have difficult conversations when necessary.
By doing so, you'll build a strong foundation of trust and credibility that will serve you well as you grow your business. [Music]
Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat. As I said, sometimes misunderstandings happen, especially with client work as a service worker. We talked recently just a couple of days ago about a freelancer who's having a hard time getting paid. That can be a misunderstanding as well, but there are things you can do to be clearer going forward.
And sometimes even if you're clear and you still have problems, that means you might be working with the wrong person. So it's also okay to just step aside and say I need to do something different. I need to find better clients or just better matched, we might say. Thanks so much to Hubert for sharing the story. Listeners, thank you for being out there.
www.sidehustleschool.com. There are some resources, references for every episode. This was 2715, I believe, 2715. Much more is coming up. A new episode every day.
A new free episode, I should mention. You can access that wherever you like on the website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere else. And of course, I hope you'll continue to listen. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
from The Onward Project.
