{"id":32019,"date":"2019-10-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/showing-up-on-time\/"},"modified":"2024-01-18T19:00:26","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T19:00:26","slug":"showing-up-on-time-respect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/customer-service-strategies\/showing-up-on-time-respect\/","title":{"rendered":"Showing Up On Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\"Always<\/a>When I was a kid, my father taught me about being on time and why it is important. There were two times he gave me the \u201cshow up on time\u201d lesson\u2014neither of which I\u2019ll ever forget.\r\n\r\nBefore I get to the story and the lesson, let me give you some insight into my personality. I\u2019m a people-pleaser. I like to make everyone happy. Maybe that\u2019s the reason I\u2019m so focused on creating amazing experiences for my clients and my clients\u2019 customers\u2014and, of course, everyone else.\r\n\r\nIt was my father who taught me about being on time. It happened when I was doing magic shows at children\u2019s birthday parties. I\u2019ve written about this in the past, so I\u2019ll share the short version of the story here. I created a magic show that took two minutes to set up. I would arrive at the birthday child\u2019s home and the parents could show me the room they wanted me to perform in and two minutes later I was ready to go. So, I thought showing up five minutes early was acceptable. Well, my father disagreed.\r\n\r\nHe asked me when I thought the parents would start wondering if the magician was going to show up on time. I remember my answer: \u201cProbably about 15 minutes before the show.\u201d He said that was correct, which is why I needed to be at the show 20 minutes early\u2014before they started to worry.\r\n\r\nThe first lesson is that showing up on time<\/a> to work is important, as it removes concern and worry and, most importantly, creates confidence.\r\n\r\nLesson number two is perhaps even more important. One day, I arrived a few minutes late to lunch with my father. That\u2019s when he told me that showing up late\u2014to anything\u2014is a sign of disrespect toward others. It\u2019s more than showing up late\u2014it\u2019s about making other people wait. It sends the signal, true or not, that you think your time is more important than that of the others you meet with.\r\n\r\nI remember how I felt that day. As the people-pleaser that I was then and still am today, I was mentally devastated. I never wanted to let anyone down\u2014especially by not doing something as easy as showing up on time. That was a huge lesson that stuck with me my entire life.\r\n\r\nOf course, there can be legitimate reasons for tardiness. A delayed flight is out of your control. Maybe there is an accident on the highway and even though you left early, you\u2019ll still be late. You get the idea. By the way, that\u2019s one of the reasons the cell phone was invented\u2014to let people know you\u2019re running late. (Okay, maybe that wasn\u2019t the real reason that the cell phone was invented, but it sure is a good use for one\u2014as long as you don\u2019t text while driving!)\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re going to be late, don\u2019t wait until it\u2019s time to be there to let the other person know. Once again, this is a sign of disrespect. Show respect for everyone<\/a> around you, and especially for those who count on you and those you do business with. It\u2019s surprisingly simple. Start by showing up on time. The time is now\u2014so don\u2019t be late!\r\n\r\n