The complaint compartment.

[Fixastuff]

Sometimes it seems that every thread turns into one. So I figured I start a thread about complaining. lol.

I’ll go first.

Sometimes work is hard, machines break down and people have a different opinion than I do!(they’re wrong of course, lol)

Have a great Friday everyone reading this.

 

[1Mech]

One of my many complaints, is people who say they will show up for a job or whatever, then don't show up or if they do, are quite late.
Also salesmen who know less about their product than I do!!
Ok, off my soapbox!

 

[Fixastuff]

One of my many complaints, is people who say they will show up for a job or whatever, then don't show up or if they do, are quite late.
Also salesmen who know less about their product than I do!!
Ok, off my soapbox!

Yes, when I used to do homeowner work it amazed how many customers said “wow, you’re actually showed up! The other 3 companies said they would come give me a quote and never did.”

Most salesman’s have never even run a machine much less worked it on job site but will promise you it can do whatever you ask about it. lol.

 

[Darth_DMack]

Gone are the days where a Man's WORD is his bond. I'm only 55, but I am very old school. When I say I will do something, I do it. To the BEST of my ability, 100% and then some.

I'm a retired Army dude, 36 years in boots. I attack life with a vengeance and do what is right, always, even when no one is watching. Just how I was raised.

We just built our "retirement" house, bought a nice slice of land, and over the past year of putting this all together, dealing with Contractors has been the bane of my existence. NO ONE wants to work these days it seems.

Missed deadlines, over charging, shoddy work, having to do things two or three times... makes me want to go into business for myself. I would show up when I say I will be there, quote a fair price, have the person hiring me for the work, set the standard for me, and I would meet or EXCEED that standard in a timely manner. In todays market, that model would not fail.

If I were a Project Manager for a General Contractor, I would hold crews to the timeline. Inspectable items would be INSPECTED, and things would be done right the first time.

I hired a landscaper to do the final landscaping around our house. Sod, irrigation, Front Gate, trees, etc. All I get from this guy is excuses after excuses. He blows timelines all the time, and something always comes up. He started off very good, great work, showed up when he said he would, but then, just fell off. I noticed he "sub'd" out, and I just think he's over his head. The issue is... there is NO ONE else that can finish what he started. Rock and hard place... I'm between it!

I'm still working as a Defense Contractor, and if I did my job half assed the way I've seen work done for me, people's lives would be at stake.

I just don't get it.

Ok, now that that's off my chest... LOL

Have a fantastic Friday everyone... back to our scheduled shenanigans.

 

[TractorGunn]

I'm going to complain about the title of this thread. Should be the complaint DEpartment.

I'm sure I'll find more to complain about though.

 

[WranglerX]

Always keep in mind....

Life is like a cube of butter..
Sometimes cold and hard...
Sometimes warm and soft....

 

[paulsharvey]

So, since the topic of people showing up was brought up;

Contractors taking jobs that they have no idea how to build/do. What I mean is, if you don't have some understanding of the standards/specifications, why bid on it. Example, you don't know how to install a culvert and mitered ends to meet the spec of local regulations, why bid on it? So, let's say you don't know what you're doing, and you win the job; why not do some very basic research before showing up and winging it. Sure, everyone has to start somewhere, but if your on the starting side, look into what the job entails before starting.

I do understand the guy who has doen the job a dozen times in a different state being a bit caught off guard by regs/specs/standards in a new area, but those guys Normally look into it before starting.

 

[dodge man]

Tractorgunn beat me to it.

 

[Darth_DMack]

So, since the topic of people showing up was brought up;

Contractors taking jobs that they have no idea how to build/do. What I mean is, if you don't have some understanding of the standards/specifications, why bid on it. Example, you don't know how to install a culvert and mitered ends to meet the spec of local regulations, why bid on it? So, let's say you don't know what you're doing, and you win the job; why not do some very basic research before showing up and winging it. Sure, everyone has to start somewhere, but if your on the starting side, look into what the job entails before starting.

I do understand the guy who has doen the job a dozen times in a different state being a bit caught off guard by regs/specs/standards in a new area, but those guys Normally look into it before starting.

I could write a book on what we went through with our house build. We chose the builder (Local, CUSTOM Home Builder, 30 years in the area, very highly recommended) and were let down constantly. Very costly learning experience for my wife and I.

I am so fortunate to have been living only 10 miles away from where we built. Had we been in a different state, just relying on the builder to "do it right"... we'd have been hosed. I was on the job site almost daily... basically, became the project manager.

 

[WinterDeere]

So, since the topic of people showing up was brought up;

Contractors taking jobs that they have no idea how to build/do. What I mean is, if you don't have some understanding of the standards/specifications, why bid on it. Example, you don't know how to install a culvert and mitered ends to meet the spec of local regulations, why bid on it? So, let's say you don't know what you're doing, and you win the job; why not do some very basic research before showing up and winging it. Sure, everyone has to start somewhere, but if your on the starting side, look into what the job entails before starting.

I do understand the guy who has doen the job a dozen times in a different state being a bit caught off guard by regs/specs/standards in a new area, but those guys Normally look into it before starting.

This one speaks to me. I work in R&D, and so most of my career has been taking jobs I have no idea how to build/do. Then we figure it out. There's countless hours of hard work and research in-between, predicting the cost of which is the most delicate and dangerous part of what I do.

In the end, we have a product that we build and sell. Every week, I have cheap customers trying to convince me to just bill them a design fee, and then release the design to them to build. I always have to tell them, if we had any idea how difficult and expensive any given job might be, we'd probably be too afraid to ever take any of them!

"Fake it until you make it" is fine, if you're willing to actually do the hard work in-between. Ask Elon, he's built some of the most impressive tech companies the world has ever known, based on this principal.