But my customers need me.....

As a full time towing business operator I have become reluctant to leave my area. I am always listening to the police & fire frequencies so I know when I have to be near my trucks in case there is an emergency call (my primary source of revenue). In addition to police towing I provide towing and lockout services to the public and many customers are grateful when I arrive very promptly (like the family about to leave for a week to go camping this morning who locked their keys in the car and would have missed the ferry if I hadn’t been there so quickly). So, if I miss a tow in my area it costs me not only the lost revenue, but also the small diminishing of my “availability reputation”. After a while you get reluctant to take a day off out of town.

Lately, I am also wondering if I am getting too much of the “my customers need me” feeling. Many times if I hadn’t been available my “customer” (who I generally have never met before) would have been more inconvenienced if they had to wait for another provider. Maybe 15 to 30 minutes more inconvenienced. Maybe missed their flight (or ferry boat). So, am I waiting around to make the money, or make the play and be the star? No doubt it’s a combination of the two, but I think my family life might be better served if I figure out the difference….