Some days I blog about genealogical finds, sometimes I write about FWL and sometimes it’s slightly more random …. Often people say ‘how do you find something meaningful to write about every day?’. I wonder the same thing! Today, it was simple.
The value of being ‘nice’. ‘Nice’ is not a word I regularly use. It’s an odd word though well used in the quote, “It’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice“. I am a strong believer in being ‘nice’.
Over the last 24 hours, I have once again been staggered at the ruthless and insensitive behaviour of my fellow Heir Hunters. They are quite frankly far from nice. Five hours after the BV list had been published yesterday, I telephoned a gentleman in the south of England to discuss the estate of his late brother. He had someone already in his house talking about the case! Had they called to arrange an appointment? Nope – just turned up and ‘door-stepped’ him. We arranged a call this morning and to say that I was aghast at what they had told him would be an understatement. ‘Well Mr X, if the case is worth less than £500, we will administer it at no cost’…. well, of course you blooming will because you know that any case listed on the BV list is worth more than that! Cheeky blighters.
In between calling Mr X last night and our pre-planned telephone conversation this morning, I called Mrs Y. Her cousin had passed away. I could tell immediately that she had been inundated by callers since 2pm yesterday and her brother (she informed me) had also had someone just arrive at his front door. Sadly, Mr Z had been recently bereaved himself and told my (un)professional colleagues where they could go. I don’t blame him either. Mrs Y was courteous though clearly upset at the news of her cousin’s passing and also the ‘vulturous behaviour’ of some of the previous callers. She even told me that ‘of all of them’, we were ‘doing it right’. Praise indeed at a time when she is doubly bereaved – losing a sister-in-law and a cousin – and fed up to the back teeth with companies like us.
Come on guys and gals…. yes, this is a business (and a competitive one at that) but please remember that these are PEOPLE we are dealing with who have feelings and deserve to be treated with respect, kindness and compassion when you are informing them of the loss of a member of their family. What is the value of ‘being nice’? I’ll let you decide.
