Communication?

Kent,
In our businesses we question every verbal description made by customers, vendors and anybody else involved.
I’ve blogged about this problem in the past and it’s a continuing problrm.
Even here on LumberJocks, there is little conventionality.
It would seem to be human nature.
“I’ll do it my way and nobody is going to tell me what to do!”
I’m sure you’ve noticed that in your business and, I believe its common in all businesses.
Artists and photographers, knitters and crocheters, seamstresses and tailors, editors and writers, and many other crafts have the same problems, some of them to an exaggerated degree.
Buck up, Kent, it’s just the way it is.
Just do your best. I’m sure you do your best and its very good.
Best regards,
Don

-- The best things in life aren't THINGS.

Error “wseand” something weird going on???

GMman why does your signature look like A1jim’s. it look like your signature is messed up and your post is in the wrong thread. Maybe it is just the meds I am on.

-- Bill - "Freedon flies in your heart like an Eagle" Audie Murphy

Kent i find it reassuring that you take the time to question your orders and make sure its right. there are so many company’s out there that just don’t care, i make lots of orders from refrigeration parts to computers and it sure doesn’t bother me when someone on the other end of the phone questions my terminology for what i think something is. bottom line is i do business with the people that get it right the most, save time and money that way. i think this just classifies you as a smart business man IMHO.

-- Dave Price , Roswell New Mexico

Kent I know it’s a pane when people don’t use the right terms ,but I know I forget or mix things up saying one thing when I mean another. A place I’ve ordered doors from on the west cost only accepts one of their preprinted forms for any and all orders. Then the call and confirm and if I filled something out wrong they send me a fax to confirm the order and after sending back a signed change order then they build the doors.
This can be a pain in the neck but so is having to pay and wait for replacement doors. they also have a catalog showing what each detail and type of doors are called .

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

I have an idea, Kent…. Give each of your styles a number, and make the customer give you the number as well as the name.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

if someone starts to give me the ‘double talk ’ ,
i give them a piece of paper and a pencil ,
and tell them to write or draw their idea .
most shut up ,
some actually admit they had the wrong words or idea .

-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle

I feel your pain!

-- Doug...

I also went with the number system… and pictures. It feels dumbed down but it has made everything a lot clearer… so… I go with what works.

It is frustrating though. Really, who does height x width?!

-- Lis - Michigan - http://www.missmooseart.com - https://www.etsy.com/people/lisbokt

Maybe it’s time to switch to decaf.

-- DocK, WV

I totally agree Kent, after all – isn’t that why we have language and agreed upon words? to avoid confusions?

I fail to see why people are so hard headed when it comes to vocabulary and terminology where it really has nothing to do with one’s ‘way of doing things’ nor their personal taste.

as mentioned – when I sense that I’m dealing with someone that prefers to use other meanings to certain terminology, I go with the “communications for dummies” and revert to a drawn and marked diagram so that we completely disregard words, and go to visuals to make sure we’re on the same track.

but yeah – frustrating nonetheless.

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Acronyms on drawings were fairly standard for many years, but it seems like engineers like to make up their own the last few years. I don’t know if they are too lazy to use the corrrect one or if they are snortiing too much c…....

-- "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence Wake Up America!! Please read; http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/26-0

It’s a universal problem in every business. For example I used to own an automobile service shop and I got so tired of people coming in and telling me to check their coolant when when what they wanted was their A/C fixed.

-- Joe

It is frustrating, and sometimes costly, but once in a while it can be amusing. I was doing some bathroom repairs and told the homeowners they needed a new P-trap. I got the huffy reply, “Couldn’t you call it something else?!” LOL

I feel your pain too Kent, but the world of contracts and work descriptions to contractors is even worse. Even the correct terminology doesn’t help when the parties to an agreement can’t agree on the interpretation. Of course the interpretation isn’t tested until the project is well under way or finished. We just need to devise means to eliminate as much confusion as possible. Pictures are a good way. The Egyptians got their pyramids built using them. I wonder how they settled disputes.

-- Mike, American in Norway