Contractors! A Rant

[Kevin]

I'm so mad right now! Our neighbors had their fence stained. It's the same contractor who built part of my fence 8 years ago. He called me up and asked if I wanted to get my fence stained too. Sure I said. I didn't even debate the price. $1700 Then when he was here, it took more work than what he thought, so he asked for some more money, over the quote $150 more. No problem I said. Not even an argument. I'm reasonable.

Then they finished. All top quality work, and I was happy. The workers asked about a sign, I said sure. But ONLY in the alley, not in the front. He told them to put a sign on the front also. Brown fence, and a white sign with his company about 4 inches by 8 inches. I saw him just now and told him, I don't want a sign up front. I'm not getting paid to advertise. I told him as soon as he leaves I'd take it down. I was very clear with him, I was OK with the sign in the alley, just not in the front visible from the sidewalk, or street.

He got upset and just literally walked away and got in his car and left. We were out front on the sidewalk. I followed him and told him what a good customer I am, not arguing about price etc. He said "doesn't matter" and drove off.

I just took down both signs, front and back. I'm not upset about the money. Just his attitude towards the whole thing. And for the record, yes, ALL the fences in the neighborhood have signs, but only in the alley, not up front visible from the street.

The garages are all off the alley, in the back of the house.

 

[Kevin]

I just measured the sign, it's actually 6 inches tall and a foot wide. So pretty darn big.

 

[Dave P.]

Kevin.
The only problem is you let his actions bother you.
It's your fence,not his!
Don't let his thin skin get to you.
Sounds like the signs are small enough to fit
in the garbage.
Dave

 

[Skoopski]

Sounds like he'll lose more customers through word of mouth than he ever would've gained with that sign.

 

[Rook]

Well he was just lucky he was talking to someone that's a bit more tolerant than me. He wouldn't have liked the answer he got from me for the extra $150 bucks he was begging for.

If someone is so stupid he doesn't know how to quote a job then he needs to keep it to himself so everyone else doesn't know how stupid he is. Especially for something as simple as staining a fence.

 

[Kevin]

He just sent me a really snide text message about the “miscommunication” and he will take down the sign.

He said and I quote: “there’s no reason for you to get your hands dirty.”

I told him I already took down the sign and there no reason to come back to my house.

 

[Jeepnik]

One way to look at signs is their historical significance. I had to replace the rear fence on a rental property. It still had the sign from the original builder (Harris Fencing). What is the historical significance. The sign had it's four digit phone number.

I doubt any wooden fence built today will last nearly that long. So I'm surprised a builder would even want to put his name on it.

 

[Xsales]

Agree with Rook

"You think you're going to cop an attitude ON MY PROPERTY & give YOU free advertising? On your TERMS? Take the sign(s) and shove them up your A**"

Negative word of mouth spreads faster than maggots on rotting meat
That is not a contractor that is an IDIOT

 

[InjunBro]

"The best advertisement is a satisfied customer".... guess what the worst is?

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Agree with Rook

"You think you're going to cop an attitude ON MY PROPERTY & give YOU free advertising? On your TERMS? Take the sign(s) and shove them up your A**"

Negative word of mouth spreads faster than maggots on rotting meat
That is not a contractor that is an IDIOT

Agreed. The contractor has no idea how much he hurt his business. Anyone who asks who painted your fence, will hear the whole story. Guess who won't get the work. If you make a mistake on the price, you eat it. Keep it to yourself. I told a contractor how to do a roof on a big commercial building. He didn't completely do it the way I suggested but when it didn't come together the way he thought, guess who got the blame. That one cost plenty. Live and learn. I don't give away my knowledge so easily anymore.

 

[Pat-inCO]

He just sent me a really snide text message about the
“miscommunication” and he will take down the sign.

I think I would have replied "Come on my property, and you are TRESPASSING!"

 

[powder smoke]

Customer is always right! I never ever left a job sign on a job after completion!
While work is in progress yes, when it's done no one would know I was there.
Customer always spreads the word, the key is make them happy,that's the best
advertising you can get. Job sign no so much. ps

 

[blume357]

The attitude is his problem... I don't get that and to be honest the extra $150 even less.... I've done work for people for over 37 years and have never 'upped' a price I quoted...if it took more time or materials... that was my loss..

 

[Kevin]

Thanks, ya’ll make me feel better. Like I said, the money doesn’t really bother me. The fence did need staining, but more importantly, these days, a local company needed work.

And usually, we are pretty grateful for the people working. When we got our air conditioner installed, I went out and got pizza for the guys for lunch that day. Things like that.

 

[contender]

Attitudes.
I do a lot of minor repair work on peoples homes to prevent animal entry. In fact, that's the bulk of my work. Find access points, seal those, add excluders to the active points, and repair those after critters have left.
I give my customers a quote,, with an added statement, that it's firm, UNLESS I find major issues not found during inspection. If I find an issue,, I stop, get with the homeowner, and discuss his options.
And quite often, I'm working on a home, and I find a small issue that has nothing to do with the critter problem. I'm there, I have my ladders up, and if the repair is small & easy, I just do it as a "bonus" for my customers.
I never advertise while I'm working on a home, and I never leave signs after I'm done.

His attitude? Totally wrong.
Mine? By my calls & recommendations,, I think it works.

I think that when he'd called back with his lame excuse of "miscommunication", I would have POLITELY explained that (A) he had underquoted, and (B) failed to listen to my request of sign placement. I would have then told him that in the future, any work I needed, I would NOT call him because of HIS attitude.

 

[Cholo]

I think you handled it well, Kevin. I usually handle issues like that about the same as you did. And then there are times I'd tell him that if he set one foot on my property again I'd shove that sign so far up his *** that a Proctologist couldn't find it.

I recommend your way

 

[buckeyeshooter]

$1850?? I would probably done it myself, depending on how big the yard is,

 

[blume357]

Independent contractors are really getting hit hard right now... many for good or bad live and eat off the work they are doing at the moment.... with employees it has to be much more stressful... that is the only reason I can see for the guy being a jerk.... does't make it right but some times folks are just having a bad day and don't know how to step back away from it.

Kevin, you were doing right and I admire you for helping out a local person / company.