Your biggest competitive advantage for repeated business could be that you are likeable and pleasant to work with.

Yesterday, I passed by my old home. When I saw that the door was open, I asked the builders if I could have a peak. I thought it would be fun to see what they did with the place. I left sad not because of what the new owner did to my previous home. I left sad because of the complaints of the construction workers.

It took less than 5 minutes for me to recall why I can’t manage more than two months of home renovation. After managing several renovations, I came to the conclusion that it’s not the constant decision making, the unexpected problems or the fear of making a mistake that drain people’s energy. It’s the constant nagging of construction workers.

Complaining on how the other traded workers don’t know what there are doing or how they should have done it differently doesn’t make me want to work with them. Their complaints take the fun out of the project. Their complaints make the experience painful.

Every project or task has its ups and downs. Problems will occur in the course any job. Your customers will feel better about them if you stay positive and look eager to solve the challenges. Your biggest competitive advantage for repeated business could be that you are likeable and pleasant to work with. It’s all in the attitude!