I am writing to you from the road and a weary one it has been. Have you ever been in a situation where someone cautioned you, saying, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” or “I don’t think you should do that”? Yet, you proceed anyway, ignoring the warning signs.

 

In 1969, my friend Dave and I were swinging on a worn-out rope swing attached to an ancient oak tree in my neighbor’s yard.

 

We had been swinging vigorously, challenging each other to reach greater heights, hanging onto that rope knot for dear life, all in the spirit of seeing who could push the other one higher. It was a typical Midwest evening, and as the town siren signaled the approach of dinnertime, I grabbed my bicycle to head home. My mom expected me for supper.

 

Dave, on the other hand, pleaded for one last swing. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? The irresistible urge to do something “just one more time.” That day had an eerie atmosphere as Dave echoed, “Please, just once more.”

 

I abandoned my bike and gave Dave one final, mighty push. He soared through the air, but as he reached the pinnacle, he let go of the rope, descending to the ground with a bone-chilling SNAP! You know that sound, right? SNAP! His arm had broken, and that sound still lingers in my memory, a stark reminder of the consequences of succumbing to the “just one more time” mentality.

 

Fast forward to now, an RV trip from the Canadian border in Minnesota.

 

A series of warning lights appeared on our Cummins 6.7 liter Diesel engine’s dashboard. Ignoring the yellow lights had become a habit of mine, thinking I could push it further. But I urge you, as I’ve learned over 45 years, to stop when something has been done enough.

 

Despite the warning signs, I was tempted to continue our journey – two amber service engine lights, one red “service engine now” light, and one flashing DEF fluid light. I convinced myself I could make it home. So, why not continue another 300 miles to my house, right?

 

As for me, before you label me as reckless, I sought advice from YouTube, fellow travelers, and amateur mechanics. They assured me the warning lights would vanish once I replaced the DEF fluid, which I promptly did. The lights began to fade, with only one amber DEF light flashing. The engine seemed to be fixing itself. I thought we could make it another 300 miles.

 

However, my wife, Karen, spotted a Freightliner Service Center and suggested we stop. I thought to myself just a little further. We decided to push on.

 

Now, four days lost, seven hours waiting for a tow truck, a $1,000 towing fee, a night in a parking lot, and seven hours on the repair rack, and with $2600 in repairs (and counting) stacking up.

 

Talk about some EXPENSIVE YELLOW LIGHTS!

 

So, how can I make my insane blunder a learning experience for contractors?

 

We all have yellow lights in business, life, and… The Service Call. Let’s take the service call as an example. A yellow light is a WARNING SIGN from the customer indicating something is going to change, like a price objection.

 

Your customer’s body language could be a yellow light. Has your customer ever:

 

• Followed you around with arms crossed with an “I don’t care” attitude.
• Seemed ultra-hyper, displaying they’re in a hurry.
• Acted like the concern was something simple.

 

Your customer’s tone of voice or choice of words could be a yellow light.

 

An example of this would be if your customer says specific words like “Just,” “easy one,” or “I’d do it myself, but…”.

 

When your customer displays these yellow lights, it’s essential to slow down.

 

Before you present the options, use their yellow light as one of your concerns by modifying the presentation script.

 

An example is, “Mr. Customer, do you have a minute? I just wanted to let you know that I checked everything out, and I’m a little concerned because you said it is an easy one, and I found a fault in the ______, and the last thing I want to do is take care of it without showing you options. I don’t want any surprises. Since you said it was simple, I am stuck. Would you like to go over the options?”

 

What if, during the presentation, your customer says something like this:

 

“Why are you showing me ALL these options? I just want it FIXED! Which one fixes it?”

 

HINT: Don’t say the band-aid.

 

Technically, all the options will fix the inconvenience; as a technician, you know the top option provides the most money to do the most preventive work to keep the customer from having future issues.

So, try responding with, “That’s a good question. The top option allows me to take care of all my concerns. It allows me to do the most preventative work to keep you from having an issue like this for the longest time. This is why we can offer a 2-year warranty on our craftsmanship. Now, we realize not every customer can afford the top option as it is a lot of money. But as a craftsman, I like to fix things right. But we do have these cheaper options to get you up and going. The higher up the page you go, the longer you will go with the least amount of problems. So, What Should We Do?“

 

Remember, When your instincts and common sense tell you to slow down, listen. Sometimes, stopping and assessing the situation is better than pushing forward recklessly.

 

And guess what? The mechanic just gave us the green light to hit the road again. This little misadventure is a helpful nudge to watch out for those yellow lights. If you have any questions or want to learn more about handling objections or yellow lights, contact The New Flat Rate training department at 706.259.8892. I’ve passed on all my wisdom to them… It’s time for me to take a page from my book!

 

Signing off, on the road, and tired.

– Rodney Koop