Joys of Homeownership, Continued
I just called the contractor for the handyguy/electrician/pseudo-plumber, and said don't send him back, he's been back 4 times and still hasn't fixed everything he broke in the first two visits, plus he's always defensive about it. Send someone else to fix the chips in the drywall and the stain in the basement, I can wait till next week, and send me the bill for any materials outstanding. Just don't send that guy again. Also, please send someone to check on the electrical panel he installed because based on his other work I want a second opinion on that.
And you know what?! The contractor/manager didn't apologize either, and started telling me all about how this guy really does know about plumbing, etc. etc. And do I have some problem with the electrical panel? because Guy is a licensed electrician blah blah blah defensivecakes. They will send someone sometime soon, will have to call me to schedule. But for godsakes!
Here is what I did not hear:
"We at The Contracting Place are so sorry that this happened to you. This isn't the standard we expect of our employees. Of course we'll send someone else to fix it."
Now I'm worred the Electrician Guy is going to come back and yell at me and tell me how ungrateful I am when he came back 4 times even over Thanksgiving weekend (to fix the urgent bath/shower leak he caused) and when he had the flu (to fix the lighting fixture that he broke). Also, I'm worried we'll never find a decent and professional hope-repair person, or contracting company, if this is how the *manager* responded.
Sheesh. I was going to write all about world events and the election and Proposition 8. But all I can think about is the Jerky Electrician Guy.
I know we're really lucky. We love this house. It's a great place. etc.
But right now I have a stomachache.
And you know what?! The contractor/manager didn't apologize either, and started telling me all about how this guy really does know about plumbing, etc. etc. And do I have some problem with the electrical panel? because Guy is a licensed electrician blah blah blah defensivecakes. They will send someone sometime soon, will have to call me to schedule. But for godsakes!
Here is what I did not hear:
"We at The Contracting Place are so sorry that this happened to you. This isn't the standard we expect of our employees. Of course we'll send someone else to fix it."
Now I'm worred the Electrician Guy is going to come back and yell at me and tell me how ungrateful I am when he came back 4 times even over Thanksgiving weekend (to fix the urgent bath/shower leak he caused) and when he had the flu (to fix the lighting fixture that he broke). Also, I'm worried we'll never find a decent and professional hope-repair person, or contracting company, if this is how the *manager* responded.
Sheesh. I was going to write all about world events and the election and Proposition 8. But all I can think about is the Jerky Electrician Guy.
I know we're really lucky. We love this house. It's a great place. etc.
But right now I have a stomachache.
posted by elswhere | 12:02 PM
2 Comments:
A hope-repair person? A more poignant typo there cannot be. Or, if intentioned, then *snif*.
That's no fun. And you're allowed to complain! You have a home and love it, and so want it to be treated with a little respect.
Even IF the guy DOES know all about plumbing and your electrical panel shoots not only electricity but also beams of pure holy joy (to spec!), and what problems happened were, for some reason of space time, inevitable, YOU are not a plumber or electrician and shouldn't have to be one in order to get your house fixed, nu?
(Okay, can I just say that ever since you and Phantom each have written nu? at the end of sentences, I have found it flowing off my fingers like crazy. I usually delete it - because dude, I'm so goy and co-opty - BUT IT'S SO COOL. So I'm going to put it here.
*breath out*
That feels better.)
No. You should be able to make the expert do it, and he or she should tell you what's going to happen, make sure it happens, explain if there's a change in spec (because of the god in your wires factor, maybe), and then bill you.
And if any of those parts go weird, of course you'll want a second opinion.
Silly manager.
Yeah! Silly manager! Thanks, Arwen! The customer service rep called me the next day, and she *did* sort of apologize, and set me up with the Nice Spackling Guy who came on Friday and fixed the stuff I wanted fixed, and was pleasant and friendly and just swell.
Then I called back and got the Manager and thanked him for sending Spackling Guy and asked could he now please send someone to check the electrical panel?
And whattadaknow, Manager was defensive again! He crabbed that Spackling Guy should've done it, as he too is a licensed electrician. Who knew? (There's another Yiddishism that comes in handy.) But since neither Spackling Guy nor I knew that that was on the agenda, we hadn't addressed it.
I think the next time I call, I'm going to ask for the Customer Service Rep. First time ever that I'll ve demanding my way *down* the customer-service hierarchy, but the phone rep is much nicer than he is.
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