Jake Lee (u/jakelee)

Posts

A client in Charlotte asked me to bind a book with a plastic cover, and it's been on my mind for weeks.

I was finishing a custom leather journal for a regular, and she brought a friend who wanted a family cookbook bound. She pulled out a stack of printed pages and a sheet of thick, clear plastic, asking if I could use that for the cover instead of board or leather. She said, 'I want it to look modern and clean, like it's from a store.' I explained that plastic can crack at the hinge over time and doesn't age like traditional materials. She just shrugged and said she didn't care about it lasting, she just wanted that specific look right now. It stuck with me because I always thought our job was about making things that last. But maybe for some people, the immediate look is more important than the long-term hold. Has anyone else had a client ask for something you knew wouldn't stand the test of time? How did you handle it?

2 comments

c/appliance-repairers•

jakelee•6d ago

Warning: I keep seeing techs skip the capacitor discharge on those new variable speed dryer motors

Fried a $300 motor last week because the manual specifically says to wait 5 minutes after unplugging, and I didn't. Anyone else run into this yet?

2 comments

c/cre-financing•

jakelee•7d ago

I finally hit a 90% occupancy rate on my small strip mall and it changed my whole loan plan

For the longest time, I was sure I needed to refinance my main property to get a better rate, but I was stuck at about 75% full. Then, a new coffee shop and a dentist moved into the last two units last month, pushing us to 90%. My lender, a local bank I've worked with for a while, called me up and said that number basically unlocked a whole new set of loan options they couldn't offer before. Instead of just a simple refi, they're now talking about a cash-out deal based on the new, higher property value, which I could use to fix up the parking lot. I always thought the value was mostly about the location, but hitting that specific occupancy number was the real key. Has anyone else had a lender shift gears on them after hitting a certain occupancy or rent roll number?

2 comments

c/behind-the-counter-talk•

jakelee•26d ago

Just realized letting customers argue over prices wastes everyone's time

I used to think debating with customers about sales tags was part of good service. After a manager showed me how it backs up the line and stresses out the team, I just point to the policy now. Tbh, do you stick to price rules even when customers push back?

3 comments

Posts

A client in Charlotte asked me to bind a book with a plastic cover, and it's been on my mind for weeks.

Warning: I keep seeing techs skip the capacitor discharge on those new variable speed dryer motors

I finally hit a 90% occupancy rate on my small strip mall and it changed my whole loan plan

Just realized letting customers argue over prices wastes everyone's time

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