Thread Drift

[indysteel]

Wow; it's not often that I totally lose my cool with something, but today I did. We were scheduled to have windows installed in our basement this coming week. The contractor doing the work is the same one that we used last year for the rest of our windows. The work itself was done very well, but we used them again with a lot of hesitation because the saleman we have to deal with is a bit of a jerk. Among other issues, he jacked us around last year because the guys who were set to do the work (it was a 4-day job) do snow removal on the side. This was not revealed ahead of time to us when we scheduled the work. On the day they were set to start, we got a snowstorm and they insisted they had to reschedule--after we had taken days off work. Being generally nice people, we accommodated them. When we went to schedule the current job, the saleman gave us his usual song and dance about how they can't give us a firm date, blah, blah, blah.

Fast forward to this last night and this morning. My husband found out last night that his best friend's father is within 12 to 36 hours of passing away. He's been ill for the last two months, but the family decided to remove life support earlier in the week and he is, at the age of 67, not long for this world. My husband has known this family since he was five, and he's very upset about it. It doesn't help that his friend's mother is in the advanced stages of metasticized breast cancer herself and is also not long for this world. It's a sad situation.

Anyway, we anticipate needing to travel out-of-state to the funeral sometime in the next few days. DH contacted the salesman as soon as we learned this, and he had the inhumanity to give my husband quite a bit of grief about having to reschedule the work. My husband forwarded their email exchange to me, and I went ballistic.

I called the salesman myself at this point. I have sensed in dealing with him that I scare him. People like him are often intimidated by attorneys and, frankly, I use that to my advantage. I was calm and polite about it, but I made it clear that the only correct response was: "I am so sorry for your loss. We will work with you to reschedule." End of story.
He backpedaled a lot and apologized profusely. Then he had the audacity to blame his boss for putting him under pressure to get jobs schdeduled and completed. To which I replied: "You have your boss call me if he has a problem rescheduling work when customer loses a close friend or family member, and I'll tell him what I think of that type of 'customer service.' Need I remind the both of you that we accommodated your crew last year so that they could plow snow? Is your boss going to tell me that's more important than a funeral?"

I realize it's a hassle for contractors when something like this happens, but for the love of God; have some respect. This'll teach me to use a contractor for whom I have misgivings.

[lph]

(Whoa, didja see the spammer in the goodbye kittie thread, replying to and praising his own post? That's a new tactic.)

Well said and reacted, indysteel!

[Owlie]

(Whoa, didja see the spammer in the goodbye kittie thread, replying to and praising his own post? That's a new tactic.)

That's hilarious.

[Owlie]

What's gotten into me? I bought running shorts today.

[marni]

What's gotten into me? I bought running shorts today.

ah hope springs eternal!

marni

[indysteel]

Wow; two funerals in one week. My husband's best friend lost his dad on Thursday, and a college friend of mine lost her dad to ALS the same day. We were in Kentucky the last couple of days fir the former's visitation and funeral and the latter's services are tomorrow and Wednesday. It's a sad week.

[tealtreak]

Wow; two funerals in one week. My husband's best friend lost his dad on Thursday, and a college friend of mine lost her dad to ALS the same day. We were in Kentucky the last couple of days fir the former's visitation and funeral and the latter's services are tomorrow and Wednesday. It's a sad week.

sorry- we seem to hit that age.............parents, friend's parents...yuck..........):