Hit 500 cleanings without a single callback and it surprised me more than I expected

I just passed 500 chimney cleanings last month. When I started this trade back in 2008, I figured I'd have a few people call me back because I missed something or left a mess. But so far, not one callback for a do-over. That number surprised me because I'm not the most careful guy and I work fast. I think the reason is I always take an extra 5 minutes to double check the damper and make sure the smoke shelf is spotless before I pack up. Has anyone else hit a surprising milestone in their numbers that caught them off guard?

3 comments

3 Comments

jasonallen8d ago

Keep that double check habit going man, it's probably saving you more than you realize. Most callbacks I've seen happen cause someone rushed the final look-over or skipped cleaning something they thought was fine.

wood.eric7d ago

The other thing about double checking that folks overlook is how it trains your eye over time. You start noticing patterns in your own work, like when a fitting is just slightly off or a joint doesn't look quite square. After a while you can catch those things before you even pick up a tool to test them. It becomes less about fixing mistakes and more about building a sixth sense for what good work looks like. That habit pays off across every job you do, not just the one you're inspecting.

piperbailey6d ago

Yo @jasonallen is totally right on that, rushing the final look-over is usually what gets people. I mean, that double check habit sounds like it's the real secret to your clean streak.