Over twenty years ago when we bought our little fixer-upper I built a block chimney up through the center of the house. I always wanted to remove the top 3 feet and but brick back. Well now the roofers are going to be starting and this the perfect time to do it. Just so happens I get a call from a mason who wants me to service his house and shop furnaces plus some portable job heaters. So I mention maybe he could help me out by sending one or two of his guys over, the roofers will have the staging all set up and they could knock it off for me. His answer was, “gee, we’re really busy.” Now a little history. For the past eight or nine years I have been doing service work for him. No heat, I’m there. No hot water, I’m there. Job heater breaks down, I’m there. I know this is a small, pain in the butt job, but am I wrong if I remind him of the service I’ve given him and if he still balks, tell him to find another person to service his stuff? Frankly, servicing oil burners is pretty low on my priority list.
Yesterday I couldn’t even spell plumber, today I are one.
Replies
Ok, so did you ecpect to pay the masons for the brick work, and did he understand that? If so, then I'd write him off (or at least put him a little lowerr on your response list). I don't think I would remind him of the work you have done for him...if he doesn't remember, then apparently it's not important. And I wouldn't tell him to find a new service guy, but when he calls, tell him the response time will be a couple of days because you're tied up on other work.
Do it right, or do it twice.
Geez, sure I expected to pay them. I certainly don't work for free and wouldn't expect anyone else to either.
Yesterday I couldn't even spell plumber, today I are one.
Forgot Big Flats, Cathrine Creek, Genvea College Inn, Gushes College Inn, Musticoes, Pudgies, P&C, A&P food processing plant, Senaca, Chemung River, Woodlawn National, Dutch Hill, Hiega ice cream, Ernie Davis JH, EFA, Rt 17, Tiacondroga, Pierces, (14th & Davis - Hieghts), Bridge Works. Hardings, GE, Reminton, Trinity, Corning Glass, Thatcher Glass, Hobart, Fram, Westinghouse, Bendix, Eldridge Park, Robinson Lumber, Lackawanna RR hub,(Erie ST). Sam's (B&G), the Aront, Golden Glow, Americn LaFrance, Ward LaFrance, Samual Clemmins (Mark Twain) burial site in Woodlawn and of course, Ahh yes,the Elmira Women's College...
Never been there....LOL..... Live 2,000 miles and 9 states or so west of you.
Central Colorado.
Sorry meant to post this one in the Media room thread.
Edited 5/11/2003 4:11:28 PM ET by IMERC
Forgot Big Flats, Cathrine Creek, Boy, you had me going there for a minute. I was trying to figure out what part of his message I had missed.Do it right, or do it twice.
Time to move on. One way streets don't cut it. There is no room for other's selfishness.
You let them get away with it and you'll start having to call yourself Very Thin Mike.
You don't have to be friends with the people you do business with and you are taking this way too personal. Ask him again if he can help you out or maybe if he can spare or recommend someone.
You are in the service business, and he's not. So he doesn't think like you. I don't think there will be any gain in refusing him service but if you have been giving him a preferred price because you thought he was a friend... well..
I was down in the office of this nightclub with the Manager and the Air Conditioning guy. We had finished for the day and were just shooting the breeze. There is this huge box of T-Shirts on the floor and they're pretty cool so the AC guy asks if he can have one. The Manager says no way... C'mon says the AC guy... its just one shirt and his kid would like it...
A few months later the Manager calls the AC guy at 11pm on a Saturday night... something is wrong with the air conditioning... AC says he'll send a guy Monday... you're probably thinking you should have given me that shirt...
Turtleneck
Its not a smile- its a cramp
Emotional Terrorism on the Professional level. Although it doesn'tcut as deep, it still lacks respect. Because of the unspoken obligation.
If any body knows a way the Roofer should have handled it , to stay a prefered customer. Other than doing. What was proposed. I would sure like to know. Maybe, He was actually too busy. And maybe you were and are the least of his priorities.
Also, maybe when he called you on a Saturday night, to fix his A/C .Maybe He did think about the Chess game you were going to hand him. Maybe he had too much respect to call anyone else on a saturday night
Can you tell this really pisses me off.>
I noticed you posted to me at 8 am, so maybe you needed a cup of coffee...
I am not the Original Poster.
The original poster was looking for a Bricklayer and not a Roofer.
I am not an AC guy. I was not called at 11 pm on a Saturday night to fix a 10 ton AC unit by an a$$clown posing as a Bar Manager.
Respect is only maintained by regular installments
You probably woke up pissed off
You can catch more flys with Honey, Sugar.
Turtleneck
And yet it rings trueWhere there's A wheel there's a way, got any wheels?
I'd cut the guy a little slack.............At least one more time.
If you cut off everybody who's pissed you off once, you'll be a pretty lonely guy in a fairly short amount of time.
You may be right. But how far are you wiling to go to PROVE to this guy that you're right?
Certainly if someone has a long track record of not helping you out you'll want to ditch them. But not based on one event.
Talk is cheap - except when Congress does it. -- Will Rogers
How many times can you turn the other cheek,is a good question. Which is the greater offense. Trying to guilt someone into doing what you want? or Burning the bridge? Everybody deserves a second chance. Some didn't deserve the first chance. I agree with you Boss. I have what I call the 3 strike rule. Which isn't set in stone, especially with family. Of course they piss you off the most. 3 strikes and your out.
The golden rule: Treat others, as you yourself, would like to be treated. Its not always that easy. In buisness. If you don't give people a second chance. You might not get much done.
Who opened this Pandora's box?
It's like Playin Poker. In your favorite western. Mine is "the Outlaw Josie Wales." And your all a bunch of Damn Red Legs. Thats my problem.
In my oppinion, The best you can do is know, whats in your own hand. And expect to be treated like you do. In a perfect world right. To many higher life forms out there. Trying to drag you down to their level. Maybe I am Crazy. But I know what I'm doing. Thats not good enough is it. Survival of the fittest and all that. There is always somebody out there, that couldn't make you jump. And is more than willing to give you a bad haircut for it.
Edited 5/13/2003 1:25:20 PM ET by MuleSkinner
Edited 5/13/2003 1:27:28 PM ET by MuleSkinner
Mike
You think THATS bad.....my electician/friend of 19 years kept promising me he'd get to me so I can get the electrical done in my new bathroom/laundry room. I wanna close the walls up already. Needless to say after half a dozen calls he never comes and I bet I know why.
I got this guy several jobs where I was doing the cabinet work on kitchens and tile floors. He specifically told me he made out REAL well on those jobs and landed another for more good money from it. Alll in a real exclusive hood.
My guess is he thinks he might have to cut me a break on my house for all I've done for him and doesn't wanna be bothered.
I never asked for a break just a god job not to mention I have a HUGE job coming up here besides the bathroom/laundry room.
I spose if you want a rainbow you gotta put up with the rain.
Be rained on
Namaste
andy
In his first interview since the stroke, Ram Dass, 66, spoke with great difficulty about how his brush with death has changed his ideas about aging, and how the recent loss of two old friends, Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg, has convinced him that now, more than ever, is the time to ``Be Here Now.''
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
VtMike,
Had a deal with a plumber friend of mine who is also a neighbor. Had given him some work over the years, and wanted him to help with my place. Made clear that I intended to pay full price. He checked out the job, named a price and set up a time.
Called me a week ahead and said he had landed a huge hurry-up commercial job, and couldn't do my little one. BUT, he had lined up a buddy of his who had the time, and he would personally check the job each day. OK, fine.
He preserved his relationship with me by making a few calls. The work was fine and now I have another plumber friend.
That's how it SHOULD go. Nobody got hosed, everyone was happy.
skipj
All this is bringing back memories of a friend (loosely used term) that has an auto body shop in town. When ever one of our vehicles was damaged we gave him all the work. Usually insurance jobs, so he made out ok. Never complained if the work took longer than expected. Figured don't rush a good man. Well, he used to buy his plumbing supplies for his shop and home from one guy at cost and hire another to moonlite the installation. Guess who got called when he needed service right away because the heat went off in the shop and he had cars to paint? One day he calls and says the water heater in the house is leaking. He expected me to get another one under warranty. I finally told him that the equipment sales supplemented the service and if I didn't sell the equipment I would have to charge for the running around, processing, disposal and all the time associated with it. AND, if they didn't give me instant credit for the returned heater he would have to cough up the money and wait for a credit himself. He hasn't called me since and I don't miss the business one bit.
A side note: Recently my daughter's car was hit. We took it to the dealer's body shop for an estimate and were shocked when told to bring it in next Thursday and we could pick it up Saturday AM. The same sort of job would take the other guy two weeks to complete once he got it in the shop.
Yesterday I couldn't even spell plumber, today I are one.