Home-based Bully - Industry Trend or Event - Column

Home Office Computing, April, 2001 by Marilyn Zelinsky Syarto

Lack of professionalism leaves people skittish about small businesses

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY CAREER, I RECEIVED hate mail about a recent article I wrote on printing up business cards (December, "Business Card Chaos," page 124). I expect more of the same for this article, as well, but I'm seething mad about how poorly a couple of home-based businesses have treated me as a client.

First of all, my home-based hairdresser, Paula, ditched me as a client! I don't know why, so if she reads this, maybe she'll be the first to send hate mail.

Two years ago, I snagged Paula's number from a friend whose hair I admired. I called for over a year to get an appointment. Finally, I left a desperate message, and surprisingly, Paula found a spare second to call back to squeeze me in. I should have realized this was a clue to how she ran her business, but for the next year, I made long monthly treks to her house.

I loved Paula's casual personality and comfortable garage-turned-salon. But, she had brutal rules that my friend and I would laugh about--don't cancel or you'll never get another appointment, always work around Paula's schedule, never be late, and always pay in cash. I ended up living in fear of my hairdresser.

The fateful day came when I cancelled my appointment. I left an apologetic message, begging her to call back to reschedule. I left messages for weeks on an answering machine with a child's voice, so I didn't know if I was calling a business or a wrong number (my friend later confirmed the number). Paula even promised my friend she'd call. But I never heard a peep from Paula.

My time is valuable, so now I go to a salon-based hairdresser who makes appointments that are convenient for me--the paying customer.

Let me tell you about the two home-based handymen who complained that they don't have much work, but never called my husband back with the estimates they promised ...