Why would anyone spend two nights away from home and drive 1,468km (880 miles) for less than $80?
I did it to complete a single mystery shop in a town called Walgett in the western outback on the NSW QLD border.
I did it for $80.
I impulsively decided on the trip the day before. It felt right. On reflection, there were 8 good reasons to do it.
I’m not going to tell the client I did it myself. To them it’s just one of many sites (jobs) ticked off for the month.
I had a good reason not to do it. It’s a hard job in a town in the middle of nowhere with only 2,300 people. Though the client wouldn’t be thrilled, I had an excuse, not to do it.
But I did it for many reasons.
- It’s a long standing client (over 10 yrs).
- We’ve earnt great money over the years so I owe them.
- The contract renews every couple of years. Like they say about wives – Happy client happy life
- It shows my staff we MUST deliver (and we do).
- It helps me price future jobs because I can ‘feel’ the issues that come from its remoteness.
- It helps me truly understand why my staff struggle with some jobs (they aren’t being lazy).
- I tacked on a couple other remote jobs, which eases the stress on my scheduling staff and account managers. Its also marginally helps pay for my time.
- I get to discover a new part of the country and I love driving (I didn’t need much pushing).
Did I just justify my gut feel, or confirm my gut was right?
