It was the early 90's

I was 18, studying at Curtin, and my bright yellow 1979 Ford Escort 1100 was due for a service. I wasn’t sure what to do, but I found a place in Balcatta and booked it in. Then I told Dad.

“What you want to do is take in an empty ice cream container with you,” he said. “Tell them you want to keep any oil or parts they replace and put them in the container.”

He added, “And even if they tell you there’s a big problem, like with the brakes or the clutch, don’t agree to anything on the spot. Whatever it is, you might get another year out of it. Go by how the car runs, not what they say you need”.

The guys at the garage were decent and went along with it, and I took home an empty Peters Neapolitan of black oil. Although I only did it that the first time, because I found the idea of acting like I didn’t trust them deeply embarrassing.

But looking back, I see that Dad wasn’t just giving me practical advice. He was sending a clear message: “I know she’s a naïve young woman, but please don’t take advantage of her. Someone’s watching.”

That memory came back to me last week while I was working on an analytics report for Jason, a client who runs a small trades-based business. As I reviewed the hours and tasks completed by the team, I couldn’t help but feel like this time, I was the one throwing parts into the container, trying to prove work had been done. Yes, we worked for our money. Yes, we spent several hours each week on his account. Yes, we had a long list of tasks completed. But was that apparent enough?

Like the mechanic, I was wondering whether we were truly communicating the value we were delivering. Was it meaningful to Jason? Did the report just look impressive, or was it reflecting the results?

When I finally called Jason, he said, “My phone’s either ringing with inquiries or it’s not—that’s how I know if you’re doing your job.”

It was a poignant reminder that whilst, naturally, accountability and transparency are fundamental, we hope our clients can see the very real difference we make.

I invite you to call me any time you want the good oil.