I shared this story on Instagram tales every week or so in the past, however I understand that an entire lot of you don’t observe me on Instagram and solely learn my weblog, so let me fill y’all in on what has occurred with our bed room suite and the contractor I employed to get that venture began.
I do know the final time I up to date y’all, I shared that I used to be pissed off. Whereas I hoped the contractor’s a part of the venture would solely take every week, permitting me to get began on putting in the flooring final month, illness and different circumstances (the contractor’s, not ours) had delayed the venture. I used to be pissed off, and I shared that right here, and I do know that a few of you thought I used to be being ungracious for getting upset at somebody being sick. However simply know that I used to be actually holding again with among the information as a result of, at the moment, he was nonetheless working right here (type of), and I had excessive hopes that he would really end the work and be on his method.
Nicely, it didn’t end up that method. I ended up firing him, and now I’m left with an even bigger mess than I had anticipated. It’s superb, actually. I’m absolutely able to doing the work that he didn’t get performed. However I’m nonetheless shocked at how the whole lot transpired, so right here’s the remainder of the story that I used to be holding again final time I wrote about it.
First, let me clarify that the individual I employed has performed plenty of work at our home prior to now. He was one of many guys who constructed the carport, after which he got here again and completed the carport final yr. He did the drywall in my studio. He was one of many guys who labored on the bedroom-to-master rest room conversion. And I’m certain there’s far more than I’m leaving out. When he first began working right here, he was really working for one more contractor. And that different contractor stored his guys in line and on schedule. They might be at my home every morning at 7:50am to be prepared to start out work at 8:00am. They stayed all day, with an hour break for lunch, and labored till round 4:00 every day. When he was working for that different contractor, issues bought performed, they usually have been performed on schedule.
So when this man and one other one determined that they wished to go off on their very own and begin their very own enterprise, I made a decision to stay with them since they’re those who had performed the precise work on my home. I knew their work, and I trusted the standard of their work. Nicely, that was an enormous mistake. Some persons are lower out to personal companies and be self-employed. Others are lower out to work for one more individual and wish that oversight. This man falls squarely into that second class.
The primary day he was supposed to point out as much as work, he stated that he wasn’t feeling properly due to allergic reactions. Since we now not have a scuttle gap to the crawl area (a brand new one will probably be added to the hallway flooring within the close to future), he lower a gap within the flooring of the visitor bed room (i.e., our future walk-in closet and laundry room) to get a have a look at the plumbing. He stated he was going to buy the mandatory provides, go to the physician for an allergy shot, and present up the following day to work.
Not less than, that’s what he advised me. He really didn’t present up the remainder of the week. So we have been left with this gap within the flooring for every week.
The remainder of the week, he was coping with sick youngsters, and so on. I don’t have an issue with folks needing to handle their sick youngsters. I absolutely count on folks to place their youngsters first, particularly once they’re sick and no different childcare choices can be found. What I do have an issue with is when these people who find themselves anticipated to be at my home working must handle sick youngsters, take youngsters to the physician, and so on., however don’t let me know what’s happening. After I’m anticipating him to be right here by 8:30 or 9:00am on the newest, and I don’t hear from him in any respect till after 11:30, and most of these instances are solely after I’ve texted to ask, “Are you coming immediately?“, that’s an issue. That’s not a accountable strategy to deal with enterprise.
On Friday of that first week, I texted him at 9:38a to see if he was coming since I hadn’t heard from him, and I didn’t hear from him till 11:13 after we had the next textual content change:
So the second week, he assured me that he can be right here vivid and early on Monday to work. He didn’t get right here at 8:00am, however he did no less than present up that day. However even that day was a multitude. He introduced helpers with him that day. They confirmed up round 10:00, after which at 10:30 they stated they wanted to go to Dwelling Depot to purchase mud masks. I don’t know why it takes a couple of individual to make that journey, however all of them left. Dwelling Depot is a 15-minute drive from our home, and stepping into to purchase mud masks takes about one other quarter-hour. In order that activity, which evidently took all three of them, ought to have taken 45 minutes on the most. However they bought again round 11:45. Then they left at 12:30 for lunch, and didn’t come again till after 2:30! They labored for one more half-hour, after which left for the day. And on the finish of the day, as he was leaving, he stated he’d be right here early Tuesday morning to proceed the work.
Tuesday morning, I he didn’t present, and I didn’t hear from him. So at 11:13am, I despatched the next textual content:
I didn’t hear again from him till 1:59pm. He stated that he had overslept (what?!). He apologized and requested me to provide him one other probability, saying that he’d have the work performed by that Friday. I gained’t bore you with all the small print of the entire timeline however suffice it to say that the work wasn’t completed by Friday, and this kind of factor was par for the course for the remainder of the time he labored right here.
He begged me to provide him one other probability, and since I’ve identified him for a very long time now, I very stupidly gave him that second probability. However then after that, he didn’t present up on one other day when he stated he’d be right here.
On Friday of the following week, he requested if he might work on Saturday to complete up the work. He advised me that he was going to work from 8:30 to 4:30. He confirmed up late on Saturday, after which at 2:30, he requested if he might work a half day on Sunday. I stated sure (as a result of I simply wished it performed!), after which HE LEFT for the day at 2:30 as an alternative of working till 4:30 like he stated he would.
I wasn’t right here that Sunday morning, however I left a key for him. Matt stated he did come and work for a few hours. I believe that was the top of the second week. So by the third week, I used to be past pissed off. I simply wished the work DONE. The third week went about such as you’d count on, though they have been right here greater than that they had been the earlier week. However as soon as once more, he was alleged to be right here on Saturday to complete up the job, and that didn’t occur.
At 10:37am on that Saturday, once I nonetheless hadn’t heard from him, I texted him to see if he was coming. I didn’t hear again from him till 1:43pm when he advised me that he was on his strategy to choose up the trailer and head to my home. Then 45 minutes later, I bought one other textual content from him saying that he couldn’t discover his keys, however and as quickly as he discovered them, he’d head my method. That’s the very last thing I heard from him that day. I didn’t get a textual content. No cellphone name. Nothing. Simply…silence.
By that time, I used to be match to be tied. So on Sunday night, I gathered up all of his instruments, piled them on the sidewalk in entrance of our home by the entrance porch steps, and despatched him the next textual content…
I actually don’t know the way he has any enterprise at this level. If that’s the best way he treats a long-time buyer, I can’t think about that he treats new prospects with any extra respect. And what a horrible enterprise resolution to deal with a long-time, repeat buyer with such disrespect! I simply can’t wrap my head round it.
The craziest factor is that he responded to that textual content saying, “Okay, I’ll have my spouse convey me within the morning to choose them up.” IN THE MORNING?! He had left nearly each instrument he owns at my home, they usually have been now piled in entrance of my home, and he responded that he’d be there the following morning? He was keen to depart the literal instruments of his commerce out in a single day, the place anybody might have stolen them? That response was simply as unbelievable as his conduct had been the earlier three weeks. If somebody had advised me that each instrument I personal had been piled in entrance of their home, I might have been there inside minutes to choose them up!
Evidently, he did find yourself coming that night to choose them up as a result of by the point we went to mattress at 10:00pm, they have been gone. Nicely, most of them have been gone. He really left behind a ladder and an enormous fan that he makes use of to dry drywall mud. He simply left them!
And so they’re nonetheless there, two weeks later, proper subsequent to the pile of stuff he was alleged to haul away on his trailer! I actually don’t know what to do with them. I don’t need them, however I additionally don’t wish to transfer them as a result of I don’t wish to be accused of protecting his ladder and fan and never letting him have them.
In order that’s the remainder of the saga. Hopefully, my irritation at him makes much more sense now. I wasn’t irritated as a result of his and his youngsters have been sick. I used to be irritated on the lack of communication, and the shortage of exhibiting up when he stated he’d be right here. All it might have taken is communication. When you can’t be at my home once you say you’re going to be there as a result of you’ve sick youngsters, simply textual content me and let me know! However when you’re alleged to be right here by 8:30, and it’s important to take sick youngsters to the physician, don’t wait till 11:30 to let me know! Don’t preserve me guessing for hours…or days…whereas I’m anticipating you to be right here. I simply can’t think about what had brought on him to go from being a very good and dependable employee to this.
It’s unhappy that he’s burned this bridge as a result of, with all the venture we now have deliberate within the close to future, I alone might have stored him in enterprise for a great deal of this yr. And I’m extremely pissed off that I now not have a go-to individual to name once I want work performed. Discovering a brand new, dependable contractor to do small to medium jobs isn’t any simple activity. So this may occasionally really be a “again to my DIY roots” type of yr.
(FYI, I edited the unique publish for extra accuracy once I realized I nonetheless had our texts.)
Replace: A number of folks have requested if I bought my a refund. I didn’t, and I didn’t ask. Amazingly, even with all the trouble and missed days, many of the work really bought performed. There have been a couple of last small issues on the record that also wanted to be performed, plus the cleanup and haul away. These didn’t get performed, clearly, however I additionally nonetheless owed him a very good chunk of cash when the job was performed. For sure, he didn’t get that last cost. Ultimately, he’s the one who misplaced out. Not solely did he miss out on that last cost with just some small jobs remaining, however he additionally misplaced a long-time repeat buyer. Ultimately, the loss is his, not mine. And I’m absolutely able to doing these final remaining small tasks, and I’ve one other very dependable man who does haul away for me at a really affordable worth.
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I transform and adorn the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do nearly all of the work on the home on my own. You’ll be able to be taught extra about me right here.
