This is a follow up to a thread I started a while back about subs letting you down. So I finally had with the one guy and I am not using him anymore. Phone calls not returned, invoices submitted that are higher than the original quotation for no good reason, talking $$$ numbers with the client and just an overall attitude.
He is definitely abusing the relationship we have established over the past five years.
So do I tell him or just keep my mouth shut and call someone else for the next job?
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Replies
When you have an attitude problem I vote for just calling around for another business to take up the guys role. Second chances rarely work out. as in 20-30% of the time, the odds just don't justify the benefit and who needs to argue about if his attitude stinks or not. He'll get defensive, you'll say something negative, then you're the bad guy.
say you hire another guy for the next job and he hears about it at the supply house, if he comes to you to ask why, that's a good time to discuss his attitude.
Jist my too sents
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"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
Just keep you mouth shut and get another sub. Talking $$ with a client is something that whizzes me off also. Subs should ALWAYS go through the contractor and not the client on any problem or subject. If I was a sub I always referred the client to the General on any matter and kept my mouth shut and just kept it cordial with the client.
scabnuts, calm down. Lets not get rash here.
<GRIN> Shifting from one leg to the other....
I like Big Als tagline. Something about not referring to a gal that goes both ways.
Near us there is a sports bar going in. Big Als. I laugh everytime I go past. Not sure if I could walk in without busting out laughing
He's been good for 5 years, now he's gone bad; maybe you owe him for the good years enough to tell him how he screwed up, so he won't screw up the same way with his next GC.
Maybe he won't do anything with that valuable information, but if he doesn't, it's his own fault, not yours.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
foolish men call Justice....
Is this a change that has come on just recently or has it been more of a constant from the word go?
Reason I ask is if in has just started occurring like in the past year thanthere must be a specific reason for the new change. Need to find out what that is, might be an illness, woman problem or a new found drug use.
Theres no excuse. Prices and agreements between contractor and subs are proprietory information. If you have to tell them not to tell, they shouldn't be in business.
If you like his work, sit down with him and go over his invoice item by item. "Call his bluff" so to speak.
If his work is nothing special...well, you know what to do.
So do I tell him or just keep my mouth shut and call someone else for the next job?
Depends on the relationship and also on how important it is to you to get this off your mind. If you've been friends, shared other parts of your lives away from work, I'd say tell him. Otherwise I'd let it go, find someone better and let the guy figure it out for himself.
I'd also make a list of reasons that you dropped him, in case he asks you about it a year or more from now. Put the list in his file for easy reference. Making a list will help you get it off your mind too.
Edited 10/23/2009 7:18 pm by Hudson Valley Carpenter
there may be nothing you can say to improve the situation but one thing is for sure, attitudes change when they run out of work. so be it.
next job let him bid it then make it clear you need to review some other bids.
I'm typically non-confrontational if I can avoid it. If his attitude has gotten bad (in general), then a phone call is likely to lead to a hissing match. If you really feel it's necessary to communicate with him, send him a short letter. Avoids the problems of calls not being returned too.
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
Don,
HA! Thats good! I could call and say "I am not using you again as you do not return calls yet I guess we will never get to discuss it as I am sure you won't return THIS call!" :)
Call someone else.