A client walked in and told me my zip ties were 'unprofessional'

I used to run cables in server racks with cheap white zip ties, snipped them flush, and called it a day. This guy runs a data center and pointed out how the sharp nubs could cut gloves or snag fiber. He showed me a photo of his racks with velcro straps and color coded labels. I swapped to black hook and loop straps the next week, and now I route cables behind vertical rails instead of across the front. It takes maybe 20% longer but the next time I opened that cabinet, I could actually see what was plugged into what. Anyone else have a customer call out something small that totally changed your build process?

3 comments

3 Comments

elliot_roberts10d ago

Snapped a zip tie into my own thumb last week.

samrodriguez10d ago

Yo @elliot_roberts, was it one of those fat industrial ones that cut in deep?

abby_cooper10d ago

Dig deeper @elliot_roberts. Was it one of those clear zip ties that are stupid brittle, or the black outdoor UV rated ones that take a real solid pull to snap? The clear ones always leave a jagged edge that finds your thumb. I popped the tip of a zip tie into my palm once using one of those fat industrial ones for a wiring job, and it took two weeks to work out.