Quote:
Originally Posted by youngatheart
OK so I was going to drop out and let this whole thing go but now....
So, GP, let me get this straight. She had no other options other than posting "Shall I retire?" or waiting until the client showed up at her door???
Hmm, what about telling the person when they try to book an appointment? I know this was easier (and more dramatic). But, Really, let's be serious. It may not have been as blatant as some but it was an attempt to get business even if it was sympathy business. And that's fine as long as we are honest about it. I know you all want to defend her and that's fine (white knight her all you want) but try and look at this objectively and call a spade a spade.
And... I'll say it again...my "complaint" was not that she was advertising (hell that's what this board is all about), it was that she was worried about working with a broken toe and at the same time planning a trip to Niargra Falls. If you don't see anything unusal about that then there is no point in continuing this discussion.
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First, I truly hope that you will consider that disagreement is not inherently disrespect. When you use the term "jumping on" it connotes a response that's a bit stronger and more confrontational than the tone that's been demonstrated in all the posts I've read in this thread. Like you said, we don't all have to agree...
As for your specific point...let's (here I go again) "break" it down. When Chloe broke her toe down in Texas, what should have been a very profitable trip went tits up because almost all of her scheduled appointments cancelled
because of the injury. I think it's pretty reasonable to wonder if the same thing might be repeated back home, particularly since some folks she talked to told her to expect to have toe issues for six week or as long as six months. Not a happy prospect for someone whose living is tied to her physicality.
So...she posts this thread. I've stated previously that there were business nuances along with what I think is both due diligence and good customer service. I'm sure she was certainly hoping to get a resounding NO from all or most of us. Could she have done it a different way? Sure, but I don't see how your scenario of informing every potential client individually is preferable to getting the word out in the forum. Always lots of different ways to skin the cat.
Still, there's another aspect that you might not have observed enough to appreciate, although others have attested to it. Chloe is a no-shit fully participating member of this community. From what I've observed, I think she reads just about every thread and contributes on par with the best of us...with responses and thoughts that are often miles away from the business. I can't think of a provider in this area who participates more fully or more diversely. I've learned just enough about her personal life to know that she doesn't have people in it she can talk to about her work and the outlook on life that comes with it. Basically, we here on this board
ARE her people. Along with being potential customers, we're her sounding board and her recreation. We're her community and the only real place she can talk "shop".
So, on May 20th she posts this thread. In the time before her NF post, there are 28 posts here, many of whom are from customers or potential customers encouraging her to stick around and that the bum toe is not a show-stopper (mine included).
On May 23rd, when she posted the NF inquiry, I don't think the prospect of or need for retirement was much of a concern or a likelihood, so I don't see any inconsistencies in the two posts, nor do I think it in any way sketchy that Chloe would bounce the NF idea off the folks in the board. She did the same thing before her toe was hurt when she contemplated taking an international tour where none of us would be her target market. No financial gain from the community, but lots of perspective.
If you look at the NF post, you will see some pretty substantive discussion on the merits of working on the Canadian vs NY side of the falls and some of the considerations involved with the prospect. There are no shortage of experts out there and having a web based skull session is pretty damn smart.
So, to wrap up...Chloe had demonstrable evidence from the Texans that her toe could impede her business. She reached out to not only the one source she could discuss her fears with, but the ones who could best allay them...which we did. With her livelihood apparently not in danger; Chloe, who is an established travelling provider and who has sought out the boards advice before on similar matters, reaches out to the board again about a semi-local trip. Could it generate interest and give her an idea if the trip is viable? Sure. To a greater degree I think, she got some good ideas not on whether to go, but on how to go about it....
I have to say..I'm not seeing a lot here to criticize. The one bit of all this where Chloe probably acted in bad form she took responsibility for and had a less than appropriate comment removed from the thread. Hey, we're all human...and Chloe is clearly a good human.
