The customer who taught me to stop rushing drawer slides

Had a guy come into my shop in Portland about a year ago, really picky about his kitchen reno. He watched me install a soft-close slide and said, 'You're moving too fast, the bracket needs a second to seat.' I was like man it's fine, but he made me stop and redo it. Turned out he was a retired cabinetmaker with 40 years in the biz. Any of you ever get a lesson from a customer that actually made your work better?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_karen7d ago

Has anybody else noticed how those old timers are basically teaching us to be better listeners, not just better workers? @ryan_gibson84 your scribing story really clicked for me. When that retired cabinetmaker called me out, it wasn't really about drawer slides, you know? It was about respecting the material and trusting that slowing down actually gets you to the finish line faster. Funny how a stranger's two cents can rewrite how you approach your whole day.

ryan_gibson847d ago

Yeah that hits close to home. I had a similar thing happen with a customer who was a retired finish carpenter. He pointed out that I was rushing through scribing a countertop and missing the little gaps against the wall. I thought I was being fast and efficient but he showed me how a few extra minutes on each piece saved hours of caulking and touch ups later. Some of these old school guys have a patience that we just don't have anymore because we're always trying to crank out more jobs. That lesson stuck with me. Now I slow down on the details and the work actually goes smoother overall.