Despite his frustrating car trouble, Robby Slaughter used his poor experience with a mechanical repair shop as a source of inspiration in a recent blog post. His message: “Quality matters!” 

Recently, Slaughter provided a guest post for the Say It For You blog in regards to the poor repairs done at an auto shop. As the story goes, soon after he discovered his driver’s side window was broken he immediately brought his car to a dealership—confident that the problem would be taken care of properly. Turns out, shortly after the car was released from the shop, he noticed some strange things:

When I picked up my vehicle, I was pleased to be able to once again raise the window pane with the flip of a switch. But later that day, I discovered a couple of curious pieces of metal in my back seat. I also found out that the automatic trunk release button—which is built into the same door panel—no longer functioned! I went straight back to the dealership and demanded they address these problems at their own expense.

Far from a self-proclaimed know-it-all in vehicle repair, Slaughter placed his trust in those that are (or at least claim to be) experts in the field. Yet, as he mentioned in his post,  he “[is] not a complete automotive neophyte.” Which is to say that although he may not be able to rebuild engines or fix a carburetor, he’s knowledgeable enough to recognize a sloppy job when he sees one. And though Slaughter’s situation was disheartening, it at least provided a valuable business comparison:

I hire a mechanic to work on my car for the same reasons your clients come to you: we all value competence and expertise. Yet when there are extra parts clanking about in the backseat or new, obvious problems introduced as a result of a repair, we all wonder if the supposed professional has any idea what they are doing. The same judgment arises when we spot minor grammatical or spelling mistakes on your business website. If you can’t even manage something relatively easy, why should customers believe you are capable of doing anything difficult?

If you want to grow your business, you must treat your online content as a first-class citizen. Engage professional writers, copyeditors and designers. Treat your business blog with same care as you do your actual customers, so that potential clients see your commitment to detail and quality. Don’t allow trivial mistakes to become a reason for visitors to leave. You may not be able to show the world the amazing work you do in an instant, but don’t provide an excuse to be dismissed as incompetent. Quality matters!

We’re not content writers, but are productivity experts. To learn more about how Slaughter Development can help improve the quality of workflow in your office, contact us today!

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