Zemke and the Crew
The Five-Minute Customer
When the customer is running late and the crew is waiting on site
The problem in this strip
What do you do when the customer says '5 minutes away' and turns up an hour later? The crew are on site and ready, and the job hasn't started.
Meet the crew: Kev the koala is the most patient bloke on the crew, especially when coffee is involved.
What ZimQi really does
Crew check in on Telegram when they get to site, and ZimQi asks when they actually started (Just now, Earlier or Change start time), so the start time is on record even when the job starts late.
ZimQi is now in early-access beta testing. Crew use Telegram.
Watch animated Zemke & the Crew Shorts on YouTube: @Zimqi-online
Panel by panel
Panel 1: 8:00 am · Kev is on site, locked out
A phone shows the client texting 'Sorry Kev! Running 5 mins late with the gate key!' and Kev's reply 'No worries, I'm clocked in at the gate!' Kev the koala stands by the gate.
Kev: Client says '5 mins'. Famous last words.
Panel 2: 8:45 am · Still waiting at the gate
A clock shows 8:45. Zemke the emu sits on timber with a cup of tea; Kev is still smiling.
Zemke: Good thing you clocked in at 7:58, Kev. Client's '5 mins' is now 47. Tea?
Kev: Still smiling.
Panel 3: 9:05 am · The client finally arrives with the key
A tray of four takeaway coffees. Kev and Sam the platypus look delighted.
The customer (off-panel): So sorry I locked you out! I brought coffees for the whole crew.
Kev: Forgiven. Completely forgiven.
Sam: 7:58 start + free coffee. Approved.
Characters, sites, names and chat messages are made up. Chat screens are illustrative examples, not screenshots.
Questions about this strip
Does the start time count from when the crew arrive?
When crew check in, ZimQi asks when they actually started, with Just now, Earlier or Change start time, so the start time is recorded. How waiting time is paid is up to your business.
Was the customer forgiven?
Completely. They brought coffees.
