Side-gigs aren’t just about cash. You can solve people’s problems and really help them out. And when you develop relationships, customers turn into loyal clients. In this blog post I rescue a snowbound elderly couple.
Driveway
When Betty calls me during grass cutting season it usually means her lawn is getting shaggy and my attention is required. So, when she called me after heavy snowfall in January, I had an idea why she was calling me.
She sounded surprised that I wasn’t taking her call somewhere from a Mexican beach. Maybe one day; for now, I hustle to feed two kids. Betty needed help around the house with odd-jobs her husband was strongly advised not to do. Then she gently worked her driveway into our conversation.
Of course I would help her. And hours later I stood in her driveway with my feet in a foot of heavy snow.
This is another problem with side-gigs: you must manage your energy. I wasn’t really excited about shoveling more snow because I had just spent a full work day doing it. But hey, this wasn’t just about easy cash. This elderly couple couldn’t get out of their driveway.
First I finished the driveway. Then I also cleared the sidewalk because residents are responsible for it. It could be a problem if a passersby slipped on your neglected sidewalk.
And here I discovered that Betty’s husband had a sense of humour. He told me to ignore the side of the house because if he slipped there he would sue his wife Betty!
I then put down ice-melter on all cleared surfaces and went to brush snow off cedar hedges. The same hedges I took great care to prune in the fall.
Happy, happy
When I drove home with Betty’s cheque in my wallet, I smiled. It was cute that I was their go-to helper. I feel like there is a relationship developing there. Since they’re both elderly, they will need my services in 2020 and it will be affordable. It won’t ruin their retirement.
It also felt good to rescue them only hours after they called me. That’s good service for good clients.
