Mustafa

It amuses me when simple day-to-day interactions provide useful insights adoptable to many aspects of our life and work.

Today was a very productive day for me. I have learned something new and observed great client-expectation-management firsthand.

I finally came around to changing my car tyres, after pushing it down the priority list for a while. After some research to find the best deal around, I found a store 20mins away which was providing a good value for the tyres I was looking for. On arrival, I have chosen the required tyres and was advised that the service will take about 2 hours due to their process cycle and the number of clients in front of me. I decided to take this time to stroll around and see what is happening in the area. About an hour and fifty minutes later, I was back finding that they were still working on my car, fitting the tyres. Obviously, things did not go according to the original plan! I knew that it will take at least another half hour to undertake wheel alignment. Being the impatient man I am, coupled with the fact that I have not had lunch yet,?I instantly approached the supervisor with the hope to expedite the process.?????

The supervisor, in turn, called one of the technicians and asked him to finish the wheel alignment ASAP. The technician’s name was Mustafa. I happened to have spoken to him earlier in the day seeking advice about different tyre brands and their pros and cons. Mustafa moved the car to another section of the workshop, being followed by yours truly. Again, I was impatient and wanted to ensure that my work is being prioritised. ?

Normally, at this stage of the process (yes, this happened to me before), they ask me to leave the area due to safety concerns. Mustafa acted differently! He smiled at me and started jacking the car up on a scissor’s jack after placing some deviceson the wheels, that I learned to be sensors later. My curiosity kicked in. I never really understood how the wheel alignment is being done. I have not looked into it either. So I asked Mustafa about the process. Mustafa asked me to get closer to the screen and started explaining the process to me. He even allowed me underneath the scissor’s jack to show how the manual labour is being done, patiently explaining what each part's role is in the system. An hour and 30 minutes later, at about 4 PM, I have forgotten that I have not had lunch, I have learned a new skill, and I am a happy customer. Wow, this has not happened before. (Especially, forgetting about the lunch part)?

I reflected on Mustafa’s performance later in the day. Mustafa’s behaviour and skillset are all one can ask for in a project leader dealing with demanding -and, in my case among other cases, ignorant of the process and its complexities- clients. Mustafa recognised that the client is feeling agitated. He weighed the pros and cons of allowing the client on the worksite, behind the scenes, quickly. He recognised the requirements and read the situation well, handling it artistically. He spent more time than required - from what I am sure to have been a busy day- on his scope. And most importantly he cared enough to take his client through the process explaining every bit of detail, very patiently. Not many people like Mustafa are around. If one has another working alongside them, they should be grateful. and organisations need to look for, recognise and value these traits. Mustafa only elevated the profile of the business that he is working for in the eyes of the client. I will certainly go back.?What more can a business expect from its employees?

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PS: I know enough about wheel alignment to be dangerous now!??