When Your GPS Takes You to the Wrong County: A Contractor's Real-Life Adventure
Introduction
From Vanleer to “Where Am I?”
WHEN GPS SENDS YOU HOURS OFF COURSE
Ever have one of those days where technology decides to send you on an unexpected adventure?
Let me tell you about the time I ended up halfway to Knoxville when I was supposed to be in Vanleer.
Here's the thing about running a crawl space business - we go wherever our customers need us.
When you're the highest-rated non-corporate crawl space company in Middle Tennessee, that sometimes means driving a couple hours to help someone out.
So when we got our first job in Vanleer, about two hours from my house, I didn't think twice about making the drive to check on it.
The Journey Begins
Picture this: It's early morning, I punch the address into my GPS, and hit the road with my coffee and complete confidence that I know where I'm going. The first hour goes by, and something starts feeling off. You know that nagging feeling when the surroundings don't quite match what you expected? Yeah, that one.
But like most guys, I figured, "Hey, it's a new area, maybe this is right." So I kept driving. And driving. And driving some more. Past familiar towns, then unfamiliar ones, until I finally pulled into a gas station somewhere near Cookeville. That's when I decided to actually check where my GPS was taking me.
The Discovery
Let me tell you exactly what it feels like to check your GPS and realize you're headed to Sparta instead of Vanleer. The same street address, completely wrong city. There I was, somehow halfway to Knoxville, two and a half hours from where I needed to be and two hours from home. Not exactly how I planned to spend my morning.
I've been doing this work for 12 years, and sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself. Here I am, the owner of Crawl Logic, the guy who's supposed to know what he's doing, standing at a gas station in Cookeville wondering how I managed to drive so far in the wrong direction.
The Reality of Local Business
You might wonder why we even take jobs that far out. Truth is, there aren't many companies willing to drive two hours to help someone with their crawl space. But that's exactly why we do it. When someone in Vanleer - or anywhere else in Middle Tennessee - needs help with their home, they deserve the same quality service as folks in Nashville.
Most corporate companies won't touch these jobs. They're too focused on hitting commission targets in high-population areas. But we're different. We go where we're needed, even if it means spending four hours on the road. Even if sometimes we end up in the wrong county first.
The Human Side of Business
Here's what makes us different from those big three-letter companies you see on billboards: we're real people. When we make a mistake, we own it. No corporate speak, no making excuses. Just honest communication and sometimes a funny story to tell.
I could have kept this story to myself. But I figure if you're going to trust me with your home, you should know who you're really working with. Not some polished corporate image, but a real person who occasionally takes an unplanned tour of eastern Tennessee.
Lessons Learned
Look, we all know we should double-check addresses before heading out. But sometimes it takes driving halfway across Tennessee to really drive that point home. These days, I take an extra minute to verify exactly where I'm going, especially for those out-of-the-way jobs.
But there's a bigger lesson here. When something goes wrong, you adjust and move forward. Could I have made up some excuse about why I needed to reschedule? Sure. But that's not how we do things at Crawl Logic. We admit our mistakes, reschedule when needed, and keep our word to make it right.
The Silver Lining
You know what's funny? Stories like this one actually help build stronger relationships with our customers. When you're honest about the small stuff - like taking an unplanned scenic route through Cookeville - people trust you more with the big stuff, like taking care of their home.
That's why we've become the highest-rated non-corporate crawl space company in Middle Tennessee. Not because we're perfect, but because we're real. We show up, do honest work, and sometimes share a laugh about wrong turns along the way.
Ready to Work with a Real Local Business?
We serve all of Middle Tennessee - from Nashville to Vanleer (yes, we finally made it there), and everywhere in between.
Just make sure to give us your full address, including the city.
We promise to double-check it before heading your way.
