What's In A Name?

It's like meeting a Pretty Woman or Handsome Man for the first time. Then... they open there mouth and speak!

What's in a name?, once quipped William Shakespeare. It was a lovely late Spring noon time day in South Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada... when I noticed this really simple, yet sharp looking HVAC service vehicle sitting at the "lights" quietly beside me in the inside lane at Lake Shore Blvd West and Mimico Ave.

Now, as a former HVACR 24/7 contractor, a freelance business development specialist, and an award winning Community College Professor, I was admiring how clean and professional his vehicle looked. And then our traffic light changed from RED, to GREEN.

Just remember, you put your contact information on your vehicle advertising people to contact you.

And as I'm slowly moving forward, the driver of this professional looking vehicle begins to honk his horn, swearing and cussing out the driver, shaking his fist, a few more honks of the horn, cussing and swearing at an elderly woman whom was driving the vehicle in front of him, just not as fast as this HVAC contractor wished they had taken off from the line. She actually waved her hand in acknowledgement that she's moving ahead. The old apologetic wave, yes.

All the while people standing on the sidewalk, in other vehicles, shop owners began to stare wondering what all the commotion was, or is? Still shaking his fist, honking his horn, screaming; GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY!... as people look and stare... the elderly woman cringing thinking she's at fault and shamelessly pulls to the side of the road to let this, truly more important human being by... and get out of her way, actually.

And then off he sped... only to be spotted minutes later getting a fill up on caffeine from the local McDonald's at 1st Street and Lake Shore Blvd West.

You might ask yourself, Archer, why the heck are you taking time to write about this crap... road rage? Well... I used to do it too. Until one day someone called me to say someone from Arch Air Conditioning Inc just yelled at them and gave them quite a fright. I played along with them saying I'd be sure discipline the person and asked if they got a good look at the driver - which was me of course - and they said, no... it all happened to fast BUT, they thought the service vehicle was very clean and professional looking with all of my contact information and the owner should know what kind of people work at their place of employment.

I thanked them for their courtesy in calling, apologized for the drivers behaviour and as soon as possible I'll have a word with this person. She thanked me for my time, apologized for the interruption of my day, and she was gone.

Funny. She was gone in an instant, but I still remember her some 35 years later and the lesson she taught me about my reputation in business.

How clean and professional looking my service vehicle is - attracts attention. So does my poor behaviour. It can ruin my reputation in business without me even noticing.

The difference between an amateur and a professional in business is that usually the Pro behaves and does their work the right way, even when no one is watching them. And specifically acts and behaves accordingly - especially when people are watching them.

Govern your behaviour as though someone is always watching you, like your kids, your wife, your family, your in-laws, or like others from the HVACR industry are sitting beside you in traffic, and you'll always be the Cool Dude people look up to when talking HVACR.

Until next time, and remember, anger is the only thing you can't be rid of by "losing it".

Your friend in HVACR

Dave Archer