Teenagers think other teenagers they're into are ghosting them till they grow up and have to coordinate with a general contractor and learn what a true ghosting feels like
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Me: “you billed my card sans a sig for 34,000 usd and it hasn’t passed inspection yet and you didn’t anchor the units”
Them: “it will pass”
Inspector: “it failed inspection… it isn’t anchored to the pad”
Them +1 month: “that inspector is wrong”
Me: “it says right here in the ICCA code book”
Crickets
My parents contracted with someone to put a sound system in their new house they'd saved up to build. The guy took half the money up front, put in speakers and snaked wires in the walls, then left the bundles of unmarked wires hanging out the walls and was never seen again.
You're talking about PROFESSIONAL ghosting. Like, Olympic level, elite world champion ghosting. Yeah, most of us only encounter amateur ghosting. Some of these titans of industry are on a whole new different of passive aggression.
I was just about to mention this. We have been working with a roofing company for a few months, trying to get everything set so they can replace the roof on our house. It's been 3 weeks since I've heard from them, even after texting, emailing, and calling for days.
My dad and I waited so long for a roofing estimate that we gave up waiting and learned to do it ourselves. It's very satisfying work, as long as you aren't afraid of heights.
my wife is always concerned that people are ignoring her and I have to reassure her that there are emails I genuinely want to respond to in my work inbox that have been sitting there since like July
The standup Nate Bargatze has a joke that contractors ghosted and left a portapotty in his driveway so long his neighbors thought that’s what he was having installed
I can't believe how many of these guys get sucked into a portal to an alternative reality full of magic and swordplay and AS FAR AWAY FROM MY PATIO PROJECT AS POSSIBLE
As a retired owner of a remodeling business I have decades of "customer screws-self" stories!
Today, I'm well-positioned & slightly motivated to start a venture that reviews remodeling & repair proposals for customers to assure contractor loopholes are identified & closed. Need expert advice?
Some years ago, I was having two trees removed, and the first person I called told me he was out of state, helping to clean up damage from a hurricane. Contractors can make good money that way, so we'll all have to expect shortages in our home states.
And that's precisely why I have gone with a big business or chain over individual contractors (that's only if I can't fix it myself). Big ass companies have customer service departments & they can't up & disappear with money I've paid before the service is completed.
That would be the #serviceadvisor at #southgateLincoln - who had had my car since LAST Thursday. Who has not returned my call today, even though I’ve called four times.
We are nearing the finish line on our project and I'm still stunned that we found a GC who a) was available, b) did the kind of work we wanted, and c) my husband gets along with (by far the most challenging criterion).
My contractor put in the last window (but not the trim on the outside of the house, and did not finish other stuff), said “see you on Monday” and then never came back or returned a call.
My sister had a electrical contractor that announced he was leaving for 6 months in the middle of her job because he was depressed because his wife left him.
This is a phenomenon here as well, had a guy tell me he was definitely coming to quote to prune and prop up our wisteria at the pub (I’m 5’1 and bang my head on it) in June. Next time I saw him was when he came in with his family on Halloween
I greeted him with “Al! You’ve come to quote for the wisteria!!” and the look of horror as he remembered that he was definitely going to do that was worth the wait
It’s dumbfounding, really. We’ve been car shopping and have had people basically ignore or ghost us when we’ve shown interest! It’s even commission based so wtf??
I spent two months trying to get a bid for window work, then another two months trying to get a correct bid for window work from one group. To this day, I still never got an accurate estimate.
Windows are a whole special problem in the US these days- since all new windows have to comply with insulation standards there's like 4 factories making every window ever & if you have nonstandard measurements because working with an old house, 1)screw you, 2)the minimum lead time is over a year.
I'm not sure but the historic rules in my area pretty much limit new window replacement to Andersen Renewal. And I saw that cost and decided to go with restoration instead. Even the ADA rules about banisters on front porches apparently don't apply to historic homes so I'm guessing same for windows?
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Them: “it will pass”
Inspector: “it failed inspection… it isn’t anchored to the pad”
Them +1 month: “that inspector is wrong”
Me: “it says right here in the ICCA code book”
Crickets
They figured it was like a deposit to guarantee payment after it was completed.
Best of luck ever getting hold of the tilers..
Today, I'm well-positioned & slightly motivated to start a venture that reviews remodeling & repair proposals for customers to assure contractor loopholes are identified & closed. Need expert advice?
Old guy: So it’s time to let you in on The Secret of our profession.
New guy: Oh yeah, tell me!
OG: Only respond to 1 out of every 4 calls.
NG: …but what if they want to actually hire me?
OG: Doesn’t matter.
I’ll be considerate & bite my bite. I’ll leave it there, otherwise I won’t stop
Oopsies
Still not sure how we managed that one.