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Washing machine whisperer
Picture of Appliance Brad
posted December 14, 2024 12:34 PM
I know, I know, they are all busy.

How hard is it to simply return a phone call?

I need an outside service entrance replaced. Not emergent but needs to be done SOON. Called the last electrician we used a couple years ago. Left a voicemail. No call back from days ago. Called another that my store manager had do a similar job a couple years back. Left VM, no call back. So since they are personal friends going back to HS, my manager emailed them. Still no call back.

My store is open 6 days a week. VM is on 24/7/365. We return calls within an hour of opening. Why is this so hard?

I'm 2 weeks out on new service appointments. it took 3 months wait for my annual eye exam. My dental hygienist books 6 months in advance. I get it. But in all 3 of these examples, there are regular business hours and someone answers the phone. And even if they are tied up and it goes to VM, they call back before the end of the business day.

I feel better now.


__________________________
Writing the next chapter that I've been looking forward to.
 
Posts: 11330 | Location: Willow Fen Farm | Registered: September 17, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Cogito Ergo Sum
posted December 14, 2024 07:25 PMHide Post
Return a phone call and maybe call to say they will be late or not show up. Maybe give a firm date on performing the work. This past month we had 5 separate contractors painting house trim, pouring 15x25 concrete slab, replacing two outside doors, removing popcorn ceilings in 4 rooms, and demolishing brick fence while putting up a rock wall. Coordinating all this while my wife was undergoing ostomy reconnection was nerve racking and made me appreciate retirement. It’s all done as of las week. Have 4 more rooms to remove popcorn ceiling and 2 swamp coolers to replace with roof repair being done before coolers put in but can relax for a couple months.
 
Posts: 5806 | Registered: August 01, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of 71 TRUCK
posted December 14, 2024 08:04 PMHide Post
When I was a service manager for a fire protection company over 25 years ago, my rule was, call back within 24 hours or less.
Most calls were returned same day.

Morning calls were returned at the end of the day when I got back to the office.

Late late afternoon calls were returned next morning.

Late Friday afternoon calls were returned first thing Monday morning before I went out on the road.

This of course was long before everyone had cell phones.
Back then we had beepers and that was usually for the office or the night service to get InTouch with me.




The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

As ratified by the States and authenticated by Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State



NRA Life Member
 
Posts: 2658 | Location: Central Florida, south of the mouse | Registered: March 08, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Eye on the
Silver Lining
posted December 14, 2024 10:04 PMHide Post
Short staffing in order to make ends meet?


__________________________

"Trust, but verify."
 
Posts: 5569 | Registered: October 24, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted December 15, 2024 08:31 AMHide Post
It absolutely pisses me off when this happens. I work for an excavating/marine construction contractor and even my company is guilty of this and knowing many of the local people we work for I get hear it all the time, “ hey I’ve been trying to reach your office, we have some work for you guys but they don’t return calls” . I’ve been with the company over 40 yrs and 3 owners and this is not how we grew that company. Just don’t understand people in business not returning calls anymore. I’d feel better if at least it was a quick reach out saying sorry we are swamped, can’t do it or sometimes we are booked out as much as a year for jobs, just tell them them call back in 6 months if you’d really prefer we do the job for fucks sakes
 
Posts: 517 | Location: Marblehead ohio | Registered: January 05, 2020Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Staring back
from the abyss
Picture of Gustofer
posted December 15, 2024 02:57 PMHide Post
I've had to fire four people in the past few years for this. Two plumbers, a general contractor, and a handyman. The general guy said he'd call me back the next day. Two weeks later I finally got ahold of him and he was very dismissive.

I was talking about him one day after that with a fella at the local hardware store. He said that the guy was busy and that probably explains it. I told him that it would have taken less than 30 seconds out of his "busy" day to give me a call and tell me that. Instead, he lost me as customer and those that I've told about him.

"I hate rude behavior in a man. Won't tolerate it." - Woodrow F. Call


________________________________________________________
"Great danger lies in the notion that we can reason with evil." Doug Patton.
 
Posts: 20993 | Location: Montana | Registered: November 01, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Get my pies
outta the oven!

Picture of PASig
posted December 15, 2024 10:00 PMHide Post
Contractors are terrible at communication, we’ve only had one GC that was good at it, and we hired him to do our kitchen 2 years ago. All the rest of them you have to chase down and play games with.

They seem to be good at their craft but suck at the business side of it which includes timely response times and good communication.


 
Posts: 35143 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: November 12, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
A Grateful American
Picture of sigmonkey
posted December 16, 2024 03:03 AMHide Post
Please refrain from putting profanity in your thread titles

"And that includes stuff like "f&$k" or m0%$#*&^@r" or "Contractors"..."




"the meaning of life, is to give life meaning" Ani Yehudi אני יהודי Le'olam lo shuv לעולם לא שוב!
 
Posts: 44689 | Location: ...... I am thrice divorced, and I live in a van DOWN BY THE RIVER!!! (in Arkansas) | Registered: December 20, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted December 16, 2024 07:06 AMHide Post
Try this one for a horrible story.

Wife wants a full (down to studs) remodel of Master Bath and Closet.

Find a GC who had done some good work for a friend. We interview him and him us. Seems like a good fit.

Next step get his "designer" to draw up plans. She rolls to house with him and we give her the design/plan we want - exact. We agreed to $2k for plans. One month later we finally get plans to "review". Three different drawings.... NONE look like the plan we gave her!!!

GC back to house to look at our plan again. Says no problem.

Plan start is Jan 2025... should be 3-4 months for completion.

Mid Nov he brings several sub trades to house to look at space and plans. Right after that we get email communication that hes not going to take the job. And sends an invoice for the plans.

Wife calmly goes ballistic. Sends email back tells him to pound sand on the invoice as she's wasted 2 months of her time on him.

Glad he flaked out before the first hammer swing. Guess he found a better or bigger job to replace ours.

I'm in Memphis area... if anyone wants to know his name to avoid... send me a message.

Andrew



Duty is the sublimest word in the English Language - Gen Robert E Lee.
 
Posts: 869 | Registered: May 01, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted December 17, 2024 03:50 PMHide Post
quote:
Originally posted by irreverent:
Short staffing in order to make ends meet?

If you’re any type of contractor and you’re having a hard time making ends meet you’re probably terrible at your job. There’s a Cuba short supply of all the trades that come out to your house that it’s a matter of when you can get them to come out. Let’s not even talk about price gouging.
 
Posts: 4060 | Registered: January 25, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Washing machine whisperer
Picture of Appliance Brad
posted December 17, 2024 10:14 PMHide Post
Well the fourth guy I tried not only answered his phone, he apologized that he couldn't come out until tomorrow. First two never called after repeated attempts on my part to contact them. The third apologized that they currently had all assets tied up on a large project and were not accepting any new work.

Now if he actually shows up.


__________________________
Writing the next chapter that I've been looking forward to.
 
Posts: 11330 | Location: Willow Fen Farm | Registered: September 17, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Get my pies
outta the oven!

Picture of PASig
posted December 18, 2024 07:31 PMHide Post
This is a direct result of telling kids that college and not the trades were the way to go for 25+ years now

Hopefully we can turn this around but it’s going to take a long time and a whole lot of expertise and knowledge is going to retire away and not get passed on.


 
Posts: 35143 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: November 12, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted December 18, 2024 08:11 PMHide Post
^^^^^^^^^
I disagrree. It is a function of poor parenting combined with a lack of skills. It is a fundamental fact that you show up on time and do the work at the agreed upon price. I learned that at eight years of age shoveling snow. I did not see many men with a snow shovel shoveling snow. The message was clear.
 
Posts: 17698 | Location: Stuck at home | Registered: January 02, 2015Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Thank you
Very little
Picture of HRK
posted December 19, 2024 02:45 AMHide Post
You can add lawn service companies to that list, seems to follow the trade, maybe because many are sole owner companies where the owner is also part of the crew... So no office staff to run phones.
 
Posts: 24656 | Location: Gunshine State | Registered: November 07, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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