Never Say: “I’m a Straight Shooter.”
It’s been FREEZING lately and one Saturday a few weeks ago, our heater stopped working. We couldn’t get it above 62 no matter how high we set it. We called out a repairman and he told us we needed extensive repairs ($12K+) or what would really be more cost effective was getting a new unit since it didn’t make sense to repair a 17-year-old unit. This was pretty devastating. A $15K cost we weren’t expecting?
We called for a second opinion. They thought we could get by with some repairs, but we were skeptical. The forecast was bleak and we had visions of a broken heater, frozen pipes, and unhappy teenagers, so we called the first company back out for a more in-depth analysis. They sent out their salesman, rather than the repairman and things were going well until he said, “Listen, Katie, I’m a straight shooter. I’m not going to tell you something that isn’t true.”
My alarm bells went off because I’ve seen this before. If someone has to SAY they’re a straighter shooter, it really makes you wonder. If you’re ACTUALLY being honest, it doesn’t even occur to you that someone might doubt your honesty. Here’s a few things you should NEVER say:
👉 I’m being completely transparent here…
👉 What you see is what you get with me…
👉 If I’m being completely honest…
Sure enough, after getting a third opinion, it turns out we really did just need a few repairs. Two out of three companies said the same thing: “Your unit is old, but working fine overall. You just need to fix the safety switch and open some vents.” It’s been weeks now and I can hear the heater humming along.
Just think if we’d spent $15k on a new furnace that we didn’t really need. It turns out that guy wasn’t a straight shooter after all, despite his “assurances”. Don’t ruin your credibility by assuring them you’re credible. Just BE credible. The customer will be able to sniff out the difference anyway.
What are your thoughts? Share with me in the comments!
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