What is your name again?

You know how you get a red convertible and the next day it seems you see red convertibles everywhere? I don't know what that's called, but I'm sure they have a name for it. I'm on one of those jags now, and I want off!

My problem is with folks not doing much in the way of getting their job right. I'm seeing an epidemic of this almost everywhere I look. I'll explain how it started:

We decided to buy a house, fix it up, and rent it. You know, start a little passive income for the later years. Found one, made the deal, hooked up the financing, and then a week and a half before the closing, suddenly got told we didn't qualify for the loan after all! Odd, a few weeks ago they loved us, now we don't cut it.

Conversations with people in the business reveled this loan officer wasn't following the new rules that went into effect May 1. It's all complicated real estate gobbledy gook, and I'll spare you the details. Point is, he wasn't up on his rules-of-the-lending-road. Hey, we all make mistakes right?

Except when you're in business and your mistake costs your client a bunch of money, then it's liable. The wheels just started turning on this, I'll let you know how it shakes out.

I just hung up the phone with an on-line music products company. I ordered an item 2 weeks ago, it never came. I did get 2 emails yesterday saying the card was declined, thank you very much. They had things so wrong I don't even know where to begin correcting them. To their credit, a nice man came on the phone line and one by one fixed all the screw-ups, saw to it the card was approved, and second-day shipped at no charge.

Now THAT guy understands customer service!

How about that airline that sent peoples kids to the wrong destination?
The Nevada Senator? Forgetabboutit!

I tell you the stories on this are off the charts...
(Sorry... I started channeling Rodney Dangerfield there)

I'm not looking for perfecshon, but when you trace the steps for many of these incidents, you find one error laid over another until it looks like a (mental) pile of smashed cars on the freeway.
In spite of the great technology, instant communication, advanced business systems, we get pummeled daily by people with a lack of desire to do a good job.

Want to really stand out?
Whatever business you are in?

Check your work before you turn it in, if it has errors, correct them. When someone is talking to you, stop what you're doing, thinking about, etc. and just listen to them. Repeat what they asked of you (for verification).This will make you a hero in any environment.