Shut Up And Take My Money
This is going to sound snotty, so bear with me. A few weeks ago my doctor put in a prescription for me to get the typhoid vaccine since I’m planning a vacation to the Philippines at the end of the year. No biggie, pretty normal to need some sort of vaccine top-up.
The thing that really got to me was my experience at the pharmacy when I went to pick up the pills (this vaccine isn’t a shot). When I got to the front of the line, I could already tell something wasn’t right because the pharmacist stopped making small talk with me and usually it’s a pretty quick process. She clacks away on the keyboard for a few more minutes then says “hold on, I’ll be right back”. Then she’s clacking away on another computer in the back.
Finally, after 10 minutes she comes back. She takes a long inhale and says with a sad tone “I’m really sorry but this prescription isn’t covered by your insurance. I double-checked it and there’s nothing we can do.”
I just reply “okay, how much is it?”
“Well, there might be something I can do, let me try something,” she says. We then spend another 5 minutes with me downloading an app so I can get a $30 off coupon code. Remember, at this point I still don’t even know how much these magic pills are. All I know is that I need them and I’m not going on my trip without this doctor-recommended vaccination.
So she FINALLY gets the code scanned in to the register and the total shows up. Y’all that total said $148. One hundred forty eight dollars.
Ma’am! This is what all the trepidation and anxiety has been about? The pharmacist said “I wish I could do more.”
PAUSE: I fully recognize that there are many people who would not be able to pay for this prescription, let alone go on an international trip. It’s a very fortunate place to be coming from that this dollar amount doesn’t bother me.
I thanked the pharmacist but told her it was okay and it’s really not bad. I appreciate that she was being helpful and sensitive, as I’m sure she needs to do with many of her customers. They had to special order the vaccine, blah blah, but this entire 20 minute sequence of worry and stress could have been completely avoided if she had just come out with it from the very beginning. Tell me how much it’s going to cost right when I walk up, and then let’s see if there’s anything that needs discussing.
But what the heck does this have to do with interior design?
How many times have you stressed over sending an invoice or a furniture proposal? All the questions go through our heads: Is it too much? What if they think it’s crazy? What if this is way more than they thought it would be? We’re thinking just like that pharmacist, and being so conscious of how our clients spend their money. And the truth is – that’s not our concern!
If they want it, they’ll get it. If it’s too much, we’ll make another recommendation, or shift the budget from somewhere else. But what we don’t need to do is absorb all that emotional pressure and stress before they’ve even had a chance to respond to the numbers.
It’s shocking the number of times I’ve been freaked out about the materials and furnishings budget only to have a client just say “okay”. Or “that’s not bad” or “I like it”.
WTF!? Don’t they know how stressed I’ve been about this one line item???
It’s time to say ENOUGH interior designers. Our money story is not our clients’ money story. One client’s money story is not another client’s money story. If we are providing the value and service a client needs, we need to remember its just a transaction and it’s time we get out of our own way so we can earn money too.
-Shaun
Fizzles & Sizzles
Rebecca's Fizzle
Shaun's Fizzle
Several of my clients are going through the hardest of times. It is a reminder that maybe we aren’t saving lives, but we’re helping people find peace and comfort when they need it most. ❤️
I eat frozen lunches or leftovers most days at my office, and I was reminded just how lovely it is to enjoy being in a coastal city for lunch one day this month. I have to prioritize more of this!
Rebecca's Sizzle
Shaun's Sizzle
I took a girls’ trip to CO with my friend and daughter before school started. We prioritized aesthetic hotels, relaxing days, and shopping. 10/10
One of our friends turned 50 this month, and we spent an amazing weekend with 14 friends in one house in Paso Robles. Highly recommend Austin Hope for wine tasting.
Stuff We're Digging
- 01. The Complete Interior Designer Install Kit
- 02. This Etsy local Etsy shop had some great finds - SC
- 03. Commune Design put a rug on the ceiling, and we like it
- 04. In case you've been looking for a leather turtle ottoman
- 05. Book report: This book is making my top 3 of the year. Great on audio too. -RP
