Besides the fact that the default WhatsApp setting lets anyone with your number view your profile picture without you even knowing them (how invasive), I’m noticing more and more people in business letting themselves down with their profile pictures.

Before we get to that, here’s an important public service announcement that I’m amazed more people don’t know about.

You can change that default WhatsApp setting in less than one minute. Simple, and step by step, let’s go on this journey together:

Open WhatsApp – Settings – Account – Privacy – Profile Photo (second from the top). The default setting there is ‘Everyone’, but change it to ‘My Contacts’ and only those in your contacts list will see your picture.

That’s especially important for people like parents who have their children as their profile picture, although I’m going to refer below to why it’s important in a profession like repair services.

Instead of calling FIXITT the other day, I found a guy on Google to come in and look at our oven, which had gone on the blink. I called a guy called Samuel, and he said he would be available the next day to inspect. He asked me to WhatsApp him my address.

“No problem”, I said, hanging up the phone.

I went to WhatsApp to load him as a contact and received immediate access to his profile picture. And there it was – a grinning Samuel, pouring out a bottle of JC Le Roux sparkling wine, with a near-naked lady sprawled across a Morkels sofa in the background.

It was like something out of a gangster rap video. I’m not going to provide the image here, because I know you know what I’m talking about.

I reluctantly sent my address, and when the agreed meeting time came the next day, our man was nowhere to be seen. I messaged him with no reply.

The next day, which was a full two days after our initial communication, he messaged me to say the meeting slipped his mind. Whether it was through genuine fatigue or hard drug use, the combination of his tardiness and WhatsApp picture set off alarm bells in my head.

Not to worry, Samuel – you carry on with that rap video lifestyle, and I’ll make a plan somewhere else.

If it wasn’t for that WhatsApp pic, I would have definitely rescheduled. It 100% lost him my business.

With more and more business comms taking place on the platform, we should be careful of using a WhatsApp profile picture made to entertain our friends.

We should also be careful of calling on strangers from Google, when it comes to home appliance repairs. Go for a reputable organisation like FIXITT – at least then you know what you’re letting into your home.

From my side, my WhatsApp picture is tasteful, albeit pompous. There’s no doubt I’ve engaged in heated text debates with business associates who’ve muttered “what a dick” when perusing my profile pic.

Not that I care – it’s for my mates, after all…

Oh, like you’ve never stared off pensively into the distance while having your picture snapped.

That wasn’t my first beer.

Ultimately, choose your profile picture as you see fit. I offer only two pieces of advice – real gangsters don’t drink JC Le Roux, and you should stick with a tried and tested repair centre.

Go well.