I was doing a phone consultation with one of my clients the other day and we were talking about things we should not tolerate. Out of the blue came “I don’t like working with organizers.”
Whoa! Where did that come form? Had I done something that hurt her?
Well, as it turns out it was not me that set this off but some of her other experiences but as I listened and made notes, some of what she said hit home – especially in my early career.
Here’s her list:
They don’t really listen to what I want to happen in the session. If I am asking for help in finding homes for my belongings, I am not asking them to purge or mess with things that are already working. If I already have a home for many of my items, it is not right for them to move those things. For example, I have some tools and household items stored on some small shelves in my bedroom closet. These shelves are even labeled. Why would they spend their time going through and rearranging those items?
They argue. If they suggest I need to toss something (and remember, we were not even talking about purging) and I say I want to keep it, they continue to push their point. They say things like “if you are not using it now, toss it” or “how many calculators or pairs of jeans do you really need?’ or “if you are not going to mend that now, you should just toss it”. I feel they are not really listening to me and are disrespectful of my wishes.
They don’t respect my values. If I indicate that I recycle then they should not toss recyclables into the trash. After the organizers left I noticed my glass jars for recycling were missing. This made me mad, so I crawled through the dumpster to retrieve them. While making this dig, I also noticed some small toy pieces from my child’s toys and some paper that was mine. Now I can’t find a check from my mother and my season pass to the aquarium and I wonder…..
They insult me. One organizer suggested that I paint a piece of furniture with slate paint. It was my grandfather’s chair. I felt she had insulted me and my furniture. She was not invited into my home to do interior decoration but just to help me clear the clutter.
They don’t take ownership of their mistakes. When I talked to one of the organizers about my dissatisfaction, she said that she was sorry for the miscommunication. If feel that I was very clear on my communication.
Now, I am not so naïve as to suggest that this was all the organizers fault. We all know that there are two sides to every story. but the scary thing was that I have said some of these things myself and I wonder if I have upset clients but they were just not willing to confront me.
So, if you are an organizer, read this and see if any of it resonates. If you are a client, read this and know how important it is that as you work with us and things are not going the way you envisioned, that you stop us right then and there and tell us what you are experiencing. The last thing we want to do is hurt someone or be disrespectful.
Jonda S. Beattie Professional Organizer