Pithed

[Chet]

Yesterday I got da mill and all support stuff ready ta go do a saw job today. The date has been set for a couple of months now, with the guy callin' me at least once a week since ta make sure we were still on. The last call being yesterday. 
This mornin' he calls and cancels, he decided ta go bird huntin'.  He told da wife he'd be in touch to reschedule.   

[Frank_Pender]

Chet, if it was me in your sawdust pile, I'd be toooo busy when he wants to reschedule.

[OneWithWood]

What a bummer

I hope you decided to go bird hunting too.

I would be real tempted to up my price to reschedule and to inform him of my new policy that cancelations less than 7 days before the scheduled date carry a minimum charge to compensate for time wasted.  Unless it was a big job I would be sorely tempted to be too busy with other customers I might have put off to accomodate the date that was cancelled.

Brighter days are just ahead . . . when the white stuff covers everything and you have to wear sunglasses!

[CHARLIE]

I detest people like that.  People that will leave you high and dry if something more fun for them appears on the horizon.  I sure hope you are too busy when he calls to reschedule and force him to schedule at your availability and not his.  That guy sounds really irresponsible and not very dependable.

[SwampDonkey]

You guys think that's bad.....Father used to call and get a crew ready to go to work on the harvest or packing shed. Everyone was good to go as usual. Come the next day there were always one or two that would never show, never call, nothin. Just as if they was kidnapped over night.  Sure are alot of people that get some kind of pleasure wasting your time.

[DouginUtah]

What really hurts is when you have put a crew together to do a concrete pour and a couple of guys don't show.         

-Doug

[Corley5]

I had a high school kid working in the hay for me for 3 years.  The 1st two he was indispensible.  He could drive a tractor, rake hay and wasn't afraid to throw bales.  The 3rd summer he was great when he'd show up  .  He stood me up three times .  The 3rd time I was expecting it and had somebody else lined up anyway   I guess that's what happens when you're 17 and have a drivers license.  The first time I had customers coming to get hay off the wagons and much to their credit they pitched in and helped load wagons and I gave them a break for it.  The second time a neighbor was home and helped me on the wagons while Dad baled.  The young fellas parents were appalled at what he did and his older brother offered to kick his butt for me but I just let it slide.  I still owe him $72.50 for the last time he showed up and I told his brother to tell him I'd pay him if he came to me for it I'd a been in deep trouble if I told someone I was gonna help em make hay and didn't show.  Another thing that irks me is when somebody tells me they're gonna be out for hay at such and such a time and are an hour or more late or just plain don't show.  It's not so bad if I've got something going on at the shop but otherwise  

[SwampDonkey]

Another thing that irks me is when somebody tells me they're gonna be out for hay at such and such a time and are an hour or more late or just plain don't show.

That used to be the story with truckers coming after produce from the packing shed. They'd give ya a time they'd show and it might be several hours after the fact in the middle of the night when all the crew is home sleeping. I'm not a happy camper when I'm awaken at 2:00 am to load 2000 50lb bags by hand with little help and expected to be working back on the line at 8:00 am the same day. 

[DonE911]

Go ahead and re-schedule.....  then take a "weather day" day

[asy]

WHy do people do this??

It's beyond my level of reasoning.

I have been renovating a house for a bit now, and a while ago my chippy, (carpenter/builder) who we'll call 'chippy' for this excercise, had to do another job he'd promised someone else for a week. I said fine, come back the week after and do all the trim (architraving, skirtings, etc). Then we'll look at laying the floating floor in the lounge, and finishing the job off. There were probably another 3 weeks work in it for him.

The week went by, and he was supposed to go to my job on the following monday (lets call this monday, week 1). I rang him Monday afternoon to see if he needed any more timber or other stuff. He said he wasn't able to get there coz his car was playing up. I said fine, when will you be able to get there, do you think??  ( I knew his car had been playing up and was due for fixing). He said Wednesday or Thursday. I said OK.

Well, I rang him THursday Afternoon to see how the job had gone. Car still not fixed. It'll be next week before I get there, says he.  *mutter* OK says I. Ring me when you get there and I'll come across and give ya a hand.

The following week comes (week 2) and I wait till Thursday with no call from him, and I ring him. No answer. Leave message on mobile phone.

The following week comes (week 3) and I wait till Wednesday with no call from him, and I ring him. No answer, Leave message on mobile phone.

The following week comes (week 4) and I ring on Tuesday. Getting Pithed now. NEed the job done, costing me money sitting there with nothing happenning.

I ring again on Friday Week 4. Still no answer. I get worried there's something wrong. I email, and SMS him as well.

Week 5 I happen to be at another job with a painter and pest treatment guy who also know Chippy. I asked them whether they'd heard from him, and what was going on? Pest guy says...  "Oh, he's gone to Victoria (2 states away) to visit his daughter,He's supposed to be home on the 5th of Sept (beginning of week 5), I'm waiting for him to do a job for me too ".  So I said fine, thanks, let me know if you hear from him, and I"ll let you know if I do.

Didn't ring him in week 4 coz I now knew he was away.

RAng him on the Tuesday of week 5, as he was supposed to be home on the monday. Still no @#$@# answer. Rang again Friday. No answer. Rang the pestie, he hadn't heard from him either.

No answer and messages left the Monday and Thursday of week 6. SAturday week 6 I ring a Plasterer who's a friend of his. Plasterer's daughter's getting married, He's just about to walk her down the isle, and instead is talking to me on the phone. Ya'd think the guy would have turned it off,but no.. Never mind. He tells me Chippy is sick with the flu. He came home from Victoria with it. I said "How do you know this", Plasterer tells me he rang CHippy at home (I only have his mobile number). I asked plasterer to ring chippy for me and tell him I need to know whether he still wants to do this job coz it's costing me a fortune sitting doing nothing. He very loudly (obviously to impress ppl in the room) tells me he can't ring now, he's at his daughter's wedding. I very politely informed him that tomorrow or monday would do, I didn't expect him to ring from the wedding (The guys a megalomaniac, can you tell?)

Anyway, Come Wednesday (week 7), I Ring the plasterer again, Where's Chippy? How is he? what's happenning? Plasterer tells me he's sick, refusing to go to doctor...  I said, well, if he can answer the phone for you, he could pick the phone up and ring me!

Friday week 7 I get another Chippy. Chippy2 has not missed a day. And knows how to use the phone. 

So. Talk about Pithed.

It's now about week 11, an I STILL haven't heard from Chippy1. Now, I don't mind if he doesn't want to work with me any more. Not at all, but gee, he could have rung, emailed or SMS'd me.   

Why did I wait so long?? Well, coz I"d promised the work to him. and I don't like to go back on my word. I felt I had to give him a good go, before replacing him. He can't complain, I paid him for every minute he said he was on the job, at the end of every week. No complaints, never had to wait. Maybe that's why he was cross? 

So, that's my Pithed story. Thanks for letting me get it off my chest. Now you may all laugh at me for waiting so danG long.

asy

[Frickman]

asy,

You're alot more patient than me. I know that things can happen, and folks might get delayed by things totally out of their control. It's happened to everyone. But, and I mean but, there is no excuse for not doing what you say you will do, keeping your word if you will. Being a professional carpenter, plumber, accountant, or whatever doesn't just involve your trade itself. You have to handle the people part of it also, what are now called "soft skills". If a person doesn't show up, or call, I find someone else. Some folks just go through life never caring about or feeling responsible for their actions. That's OK, I just don't deal with them.

Chet, I'd never do another job for this fellow again. If his daughter had to be rushed to the hospital, or he had some other emergency, I would gladly reschedule. Bird hunting though is not an unplanned emergency.

[SwampDonkey]

The phone call thing I've experienced with businesses. They never return calls, I think it's because they don't right stuff down. When I need something for a PC, which is rare, I call the local shop. If I don't get a response in 3 days I go to  laptopsforless.com and have the part in a couple days. If they don't care about my business, I certainly won't care for theirs.

[Bro. Noble]

I just don't understand this thread -------If I had a chance to go bird hunting and pith off Chet,  I'd do it in a heartbeat

[Jeff]

I just don't understand this thread -------If I had a chance to go bird hunting and pith off Chet,  I'd do it in a heartbeat

I never thought of it that way Noble! Who was it said yer jest an ol' punkun head?

[Chet]

I just don't understand this thread -------If I had a chance to go bird hunting and pith off Chet, I'd do it in a heartbeat

I've heard tell if ya blow in a punkin heads ear you will snuff out his candle.   

[Chet]

Guess who called today.   

[DanG]

Chet, I know you aren't a vindictive sort of person, so I'm sure you worked him back into your schedule.   


About next August, or so?

[Jeff]

Bob Newhart?

[wiam]

Jeff,  I almost fell out of my chair.

Will

[OneWithWood]

and . . . .