Anger Management
05.18.06This is my venting post. As most you know, I work for my old man at his billiard and spa shop. We just recently started building decks for folks. We’ve only done a few at this point, and I’m still new at the whole “bid and estimate” part. I went out to bid a deck in Post Falls, the other day. Seemingly nice older folks. Fresh up from filthy Sacramento. Great. Californicators.
So after measuring out what they wanted in the composite material, I call em up and give em the total. They want to do it so they give me their credit card number and I store that in their file. They also ask me to write up a fancy little contract (california again) and fax it over to them with our Herbie Hancock on it.
Welp. I made a mistake. I failed at including the cost of the railing system. And composite railing is crazy expensive. It was $2,400 greenbacks, just to go to the lumber yard, and buy enough railing for a 20 x 15 foot deck. Wow. I blew it. So I call em up, explain my carelessness and give em the new bid on the deck.
Now… I know it’s not just me that can be reasonable and understand the mistake made. But these two assbags woulden’t hear of it.
Lady: “Oh, but you made an agreement over the phone at this price, and we gave you a card number, and we thought everything was taken care of. We trusted you to build our deck while we would be out of town, we thought you were trustworthy, and I’m a whiny little b…”
Okay, except for that last part, thats what the lady was saying. So I ask “What would you do in my situation? I’m human and I make mistakes just like the next guy.” And she replies,
Lady: “I would eat it!”
I’m on the verge of attempting a tactical matrix manuevre of transporting through the phone receiver, appearing on her end, bitch slapping her, and then transporting out again.
What’s my first thought as a response? “Bull Spit, you woulden’t eat it without a written contract!!! Hell, you probably woulden’t eat it IF THERE WAS a written contract, you blood sucking beast!” *Take a deep breath…. prepare to kiss some snobby arse.*
Chad: “Well, I’m sorry but we can’t pay $2,400 so we can build your deck for you.”
Lady: “Oh, but you made an agreement over the phone at this price, and we gave you a card number, and we thought everything was taken care of. We trusted you to build our deck while we would be out of town, we thought you were trustworthy, and I’m a whiny little b…”
Thinking that her husband would be more “down to earth” reasonable, I ask to speak to him. Often times the wimmin get all uppity and emotional and don’t make sense. Another reason why they should never be CoC of the USA. But this guy is as bad as his wife!
“*See above whiny argument*”
So I think I understand the big picture now. These filthy snakes from Sacramento don’t care… they just want their deck at that price, because they knew it was too good to be true. And they don’t care who has to eat it, they want it want it want it, and they’ll bad mouth the company across town now, because I didn’t eat it. I don’t care how those worms do it in California… but most folks up here in this situation would be completely understanding that a mistake was made, under no written agreement, and would not slander us all over town.
But thats how it ended on the phone with these clowns. “Well, I’m gonna tell my friends.”
Well good for you, you worthless sack of … Eh, he probably doesn’t have friends anyway.
Well… I feel better now that I got to type this out. I think I’ll go enjoy an ice cold Kokanee. Those canadians can make a fine brew.
No offense but Californians really disturb me.
# May 18th, 2006 at 5:18 pmkalifornians disturb pretty much everybody but themselves. Buncha freakshows over there. personally i cant wait for kalifornia to break away and float out to sea.
chad some kinda red flag shoulda gone up in yer head when they asked for it on paper. i mean sure, give it to ‘em on paper sometimes folks just want piece of mind BUT next time make sure ya dot all yer I’s and cross those T’s man.
# May 19th, 2006 at 3:14 amChad, I would tell her to blow it out her husband’s rear side. These people should know that a deck includes PARTS, MATERIALS, and LABOR. Can’t have one without the other. Next time you do a contract, send it to a lawyer for all that diplo-weenie speak and charge an extra $500 to cover legal fees.
Might be best to save face and try a compromise with this woman. Maybe eat half your lumber costs. If she balks, shove a 2×4 up her backside.
# May 19th, 2006 at 7:15 amRemember that most of the Californians with money originaly came here from some other snobby town out of state. We just have a blend of all of the worst a-holes. I defected from the silicon crater (valley) to a nice rural part of the sierras. If she wants you to “eat it” tell her to shuv it. Did you expressly include the railing and type materials in the bid contract? If not, you might not be required to give her the railing since they did not pay for it. Look at your quote and if you Itimaized it and there is no amount for railing material, or no express wording about the railing, you might be able to back out. Good Luck.
# May 19th, 2006 at 8:14 amyeah dude. I took an estimating class last quarter. And my teachers told me some pretty lame stories and how general and sub contractors get screwed on contracts. Like if you turn in an estimate 1 second late, they throw it out the window.
# May 19th, 2006 at 9:34 amFortunately for me, we didn’t spend a dime on anything. It was just about the third time we talked to them. 1st, I went out and measured. 2nd, I gave em the (incorrect) bid. Then 3rd, they were all uppity about “our verbal agreement”.
So we parted with no harm, no foul. And those folks really do need a 2×4 across the back of the head.
# May 19th, 2006 at 1:21 pmah…. the ‘clue by four’
# May 19th, 2006 at 4:15 pmIm pretty sure The Peoples Republic of California breaking off from the Good ol’ US of A is God’s sign that liberalism should not exist.
# May 19th, 2006 at 4:25 pmBorn, raised and living in Sacramento, CA. I would of just said “OK lets do it at the new price”. Or maybe, “I can’t afford the extra right now, maybe later”. Or maybe, “Do it but I’ll have to put the extra on the card is that ok?”. Don’t lump us all toghter. One asshole don’t make all of us assholes.
# May 19th, 2006 at 4:34 pmThere’s no lumpage. I know there’s good folks in California. I was born there. But there’s more retards, then arn’t. So just about every state in the union doesn’t like “californians”. It’s just a term. Don’t take it personal.
# May 19th, 2006 at 5:02 pmWellcome to capitalism. Just think, in Texas they got Ken Lay and half your electricity bill for the past eight years and its all in a Bahamian bank waiting for Ken when his republican buddies get him off. Tax Free for him, not you.
# May 19th, 2006 at 7:19 pmcupcake… that came totally out of LEFT field.
# May 19th, 2006 at 8:02 pmYea, so did yer username.
# May 19th, 2006 at 8:05 pmI think cupcake is really Jimmy Carter, somehow he found your site
# May 20th, 2006 at 5:26 amI was wondering what username you’d give me.
# May 20th, 2006 at 10:44 amWell, I’ve met alot of people BORN & RAISED IN CALIFORNIA, and they’re not all bad. I think it would be very stereotlpical for someone from a particular state to bag on someone from another. That’s like saying I’m some white trash, one thooth havin’, redneck just because I was raised in the good ol’ south. I’ll agree, there are some weirdos from Ca. but I’ve seen my fair share up here in the Idaho / Washington area too.
# May 20th, 2006 at 11:37 amI think one could make broad generalizations if in fact they could be supported with fact. I think many places, geographically, get represented by certain characteristics of the people that inhabit the area. Take Florida for example. It is home to about a quazillion geriatrics in pants that are hiked up to their nipple-line. When one thinks of Florida they think of old people, they don’t think of the Seminole Indian Tribe (even though Seminoles inhabit the state as well).
I think California, even though there are many conservative, right-minded folks that live there, are overshadowed by the mass of ignornant tools that vote Democrat. California is home of some of America’s dispicable politicians, movie stars, and illegal immigrants. Any flack that California happens to get has been well deserved. I hear crap all the time about Washington State… but I am in the understanding that my state has done it to themselves, and therefore must lie in the bed it made.
And plus, being PC is no fun.
# May 20th, 2006 at 12:59 pmOh yea, my moms side of the family is from the Bay Area in California. Psychos, every last one of em. Just sayin.
# May 20th, 2006 at 1:01 pmI’m away for a few days and now I find my good town’s name being besmirched, charming!
Chad, your experience typifies a lot of Californian’s I’m sorry to say, what is it with peoples proximity to the ocean that makes them rude liberals… very odd?
Take a look at this…
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/CA/P/00/map.html
As you can see, if you eliminated the Bay Area and the NorCal coast along with LA we’d happily be a Republican State.
AS for Lady and Lord Deck I’d probably have to go round and take a dump on their stoop just on general principle.
# May 20th, 2006 at 7:13 pmUnfotunately the majority of the population is located in the blue counties. Its a sad reality. Although being a true Reagan Conservative, there will always be a place in my heart for California.
# May 20th, 2006 at 7:49 pmSimply put, stereotypes are a necessary evil: It would be impossible to get to know personally every single person you meet on the street because it’d take all day, and your brain wouldn’t be able to handle. So each person does their level best to categorize people by gender/race/size/facial features/dress/whatever.
It’s how you use your stereotypes that matters.
# May 20th, 2006 at 8:22 pmI think JJ said it best. There is good and bad in almost every group of folks. Californians are like a bowl of granola, ain’t nothing but fruits, flakes or nuts. Man, I crack myself up with that old joke. Chad skip the deck job. They would never be happy with the end result anyway. There is just no satisfying some people.
# May 21st, 2006 at 7:04 amYea, Sorry if I offended anyone with me being sterotypical. I was just lettin off steam with that post. I’m over it now.
# May 21st, 2006 at 9:27 amDude, don’t be sorry. Being offensive is a gift that you and I share. Without it we we would strangers in the night exchanging glances.
# May 21st, 2006 at 12:41 pm“Strangers in the niiiiight :sing: Exchanging glances….. Strangers in the niiiiiight…. What were the chances? :sing:”
# May 21st, 2006 at 1:44 pmChad, give up the deck job, but after that display, I wouldnt give up the day job
# May 21st, 2006 at 4:35 pmthe new boy band…. PTA…
# May 22nd, 2006 at 6:38 amBoy band?? Thats Frank Sinatra! Ol’ Blue Eyes! The Chairman of the Board!!
Thats classy!
# May 22nd, 2006 at 9:30 amwell a throw back version
# May 22nd, 2006 at 9:41 amYes. Maybe a bit of a honky tonk twist.
# May 22nd, 2006 at 9:42 amI play bass, one of my friends plays guitar and his dad plays guitar. We played smells like teen spirit with his dad on rhythm putting a Skynyrd type spin on it and my friend putting a heavy metal spin on it. That was the wierdest thing I think Ive ever heard.
# May 22nd, 2006 at 10:51 am:sing: twist and shout
# May 22nd, 2006 at 11:16 amYou imply that boy bands aren’t classy…
# May 22nd, 2006 at 11:30 amYou have to realize that the reason people ask for written estimates is because there are a lot of crooked contractors (and other businesses) out there who quote a price, and then when the work is done, have grossly inflated the price to much more than they quoted—people get ripped off all the time like that. It’s entirely conveivable that they’ve had a bad experience before and that’s why they wanted a written signed quote. A friend of mine had to pay 3x what he was quoted in a similar situation.
That being said, that you informed them of the mistake BEFORE the work was done and obviously weren’t trying to rip them off should have been enough for them to accept a second quote. They were jerks about it.
# May 22nd, 2006 at 11:41 amWelp!!!
Good thing you don’t build decks in CA. You might have lost some business.
# May 22nd, 2006 at 3:46 pmYa like mine
# May 23rd, 2006 at 10:17 am:shock:I’m from California…………yeaaaaa……………..probably shouldn’t of said that. Just giving JJ a chance to make a half decent joke about me.
Give em hell JJ. I know you can do it.
Do u believe in Miricales……..I do…………thats why I believe in u JJ. :cry:….so much emotion………..:cry:
# May 23rd, 2006 at 10:56 amI deal with the same stuff in car repair. People call up and want an instant estimate over the phone then they come in a month later and expect it to be exact. Well guess what, its an estimate. I don’t have the exact prices of every part and labor job filed away in my brain. Anyway, what I’ve learned is that some customers really arn’t worth it. Sure we should kiss but to the good customers and maybe even a little to the bad ones but if they are gunna be a-holes there comes a time when customer service goes out the window and you treat them how they deserve to be treated. I learned that from my ole man. Heck thats one of the benefits of owning a business. People that work for big corporations have to kiss but no matter what and get walked on all day long- we don’t. I don’t know about in contracting but in auto repair, some customers suck you dry, waste all your time and just simply are not worth it.
# June 1st, 2006 at 9:22 am