What is it with this country? A few inches of the white stuff and we all go into a spin. At Sewell & Gardner we started the day as it began to fall… By midday many viewings were being cancelled as I set off to an appointment at our Cassio Quarter development in Watford where I found myself sliding and struggling to get up Scots Hill. Unfortunately I had to call my applicant and explain that I was not going to make it, the car literally would not go up the slippery slope! Of course the gentleman in question completely understood and agreed the weather had worsened in the last hour and was he was happy to head home himself. We rescheduled for the following week and he thanked me, appreciative that at least I had made an effort to get to him.
I think in weather like that, what you need to be is sensible. By that lunchtime the staff were all given the option to go home early if we were at all worried about our journey: Our Directors made it clear that the bottom line was our safety.
One thing the white rain does bring is almost a wartime attitude with colleagues sharing cars for company on the (very possibly) lengthy journeys home. Those living closest stayed put and manned the offices, ensuring that all of the Sewell & Gardner offices remained open. Many other businesses and, indeed, our close competitors closed shop but we only shut the doors an hour earlier than normal in the sales office and kept the lettings office open to keep the overseas customers happy!
Saturday morning arrived, and as you can imagine, there were a few more cancelled viewings. However, we all made it into work on time and many property hunters were waiting to carry on as normal. One of the sale negotiators even managed to do 7 viewings and our property marketing manager Liam conducted three valuations at potential new properties. I drove one of our sales negotiators to a viewing at a remote property in Sarratt in a 4×4 to ensure a safe journey and not miss the opportunity of a possible sale.
At our ‘new home’ show houses at Fairgreen Place (Croxley Green) and Valley Road (Rickmansworth) it was also business as usual with staff turning up with shovels to clear the pathways so that any adventurous property hunters visiting these fantastic new homes had a safe walkway from car to carpet.
The moral of the story is that Sewell & Gardner carry out business as usual under all possible scenarios and we didn’t mention the ‘S’ word once. There were even rules in the office with a pound in the penalty pot for anyone who did… And I think I’ve done quite well!
Sarah ‘No-Snow’ Gili-Ross
