Yesterday, I worked at Clayland Marble and Tile which is just down the street from my home. I had worked for Bill (Clayland) earlier, before my house in MA was even sold, but, at that time he didn't have anybody else in the place to help him with the heavy lifting and I was in no shape to do everything he needed to have done. Now, he has a full time employee, a bright young man by the name of Nick. He's a little on the quiet, withdrawn side, but he does know what he's talking about when it comes to tile - he's a no B.S. kind of guy, and a very hard worker in the warehouse. So now Bill needs somebody very part time with a really flexable schedule to mind the showroom when they have to deal with huge shipments and also with the design experience I have from working for 2 and a half years at Once Upon a Tile, in MA....

Okay, what he's really looking for is someone with infinate patience with customers, which I have. Most people only make one or two tile purchases in their lives. Often they're doing it when they're also under the stress of having a house built, or when they are forced to have a renovation (i.e. something is leaking) and weren't expecting to have the expense, or when they are putting on an addition. All this isn't something people do every year. The world of tile and stone is confusing. There's a lot on the market - not only different sizes and colors, but different wear ratings, etc. And it all has to fit together, which means that you also need to have a tile mechanic who knows what he or she is doing ( one of the best tile mechanics I ever met was a woman who worked, casually, for Once Upon. It was like she could anticipate any problem on a job - she was prepared for ANYTHING!) Bill gives customers referels to people he knows are good, since he used to be an installer himself.

The point is, people are often "not themselves" when they are making a tile purchase, or, at least not their best selves. They're stressed out, freaked out, and financially embarrassed. They need someone who can stick with them and stay engaged while they debate between 15 shades of beige for their guest bathroom floor. And, for some reason, I don't know why, I can do that. And, it's like people with certain kinds of problems or situations are DRAWN to me ( besides psychotic, narrcesistic, stalker type men...I'm still trying to work that out).

For instance, yesterday we had very few customers due to the 4th of July holiday upcomming. That was okay with me, since I had to refamiliarize myself with the entire inventory, and computer system. Anyway, at 2:30 a customer pulled into the parking lot and the guys said "Okay, now let's let Tea have that customer."

She was there with her adult daughter whose wheelchair was too heavy for the guys to lift accross the threshold. Her handicapped bathroom had suddenly started leaking: there was a failure of the rubber pan that goes underneath the shower and water was leaking into the family room below. The entire bathroom has to be re-done, and they may be facing structural problems as well as dealing with a prior crappy tile installation. I took a ton of boards outside into the parking lot so the customer could have something to chose from, my clip board, note pad....I got down on one knee so I could make easy eye contact with the customer. ( I've heard it's a real pain for people who use wheelchairs to have to keep looking up all the time when they're just trying to say, buy shoes) She was interested in something completely different than what her mother had indicated. I was able to understand what she wanted fairly quickly, went back in, got more boards. The customer saw two things she liked & I encouraged her to try them out in the light of her own home and make her choice there. We signed out samples, "This is much better than anything else we've seen so far" she commented. But what she wanted wasn't popular, "in", or expensive....however it is what SHE WANTED. I mean, it's the customer's bathroom. She is the expert on the bathroom she has to use every day. She didn't ask me for design or color advice: when I told her I was able to advise her she said, politely but firmly "I already have something in mind".

"That's kind of '70's" the guys observed when I was signing the samples out.

"I know. We discussed other options. The customer likes this one." I said firmly. "It sounds like this will fit in more with the overall look of the house."

"There is that to consider" Bill said. He looked kind of jolted. Like "wow, this is what I wanted this girl to do - connect with the customers - and she's really doing it" Bill, being the good guy that he is, is now sweating making sure he finds them excellent tile mechanics to recomend and making sure that he understands all of the problems that lead to the leak in the first place. He wants the customer to get all the advice she needs on any problems that may be existing, especially since it sounded, even to me, like she might need a qualified carpenter and a plumber in addition to a highly experienced tile mechanic. So it' s probably a good thing she didn't fall in love with a tile that's $5.00 per square foot.

Anyway, I'll be doing that every Saturday and maybe some evenings. The pay is not bad considering I can walk to the job in 2 minutes, and, since I won't be doing it full time I won't be bothered by Bill's somewhat mercurial temperment.
It's a win-win solution. You know how I love that!