Hungry Jack
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Living and dying in 3/4 time...
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Post by Hungry Jack on May 14, 2019 6:54:00 GMT -8
With my father's passing, I am managing the restoration of his historic mansion. Despite his best intentions, he was not a very good steward of the property--all 9,000 sq ft of it. I have my hands full with a variety of contractors.
I received a landscaping bid, and sent it back with a lot of suggestions. The guy called me. He has been talking nonstop for 9 minutes now. Literally.
I came here to rant about this. I am typing as he is blathering away.
He's still going. Just diarrhea of the mouth. He may be on speed.
Unreal.
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Post by autumnmist on May 14, 2019 7:45:21 GMT -8
Ah, you have my sympathies, now and as you progress in the restoration. I too have that "pleasure" now, as I posted last week.
The one good thing about a rambling potential contractor is you have the opportunity to understand him or her and size him/her up before making any commitment. And to comfort you and assure you that you're not alone, I'd like to share some amusing experiences with contractors. (In these challenging times, I think a little bit of humor helps to counteract negative news.)
I've met some interesting contractors over the years as well, especially in the mid 2000s when I was trying to sell my sister's house. One took 3 personal phone calls with his GF for a luncheon date, all while we were discussing the work scope I had prepared. Obviously his social calendar was more important than the potential job. I figured I'd have to confiscate his cell phone if I hired him, which I didn't.
Another handyman from the same company showed up almost an hour late just for the estimate. Never called, so I assumed he was a no-show. He was very personable, didn't make personal phone calls, but admitted that he didn't like to be bound by work hours established by a company. I wasn't really sure if he would even show up if I hired him.
Another was enthusiastic, recommended by a neighbor, for work involved ladders. Over a period of a few weeks, he repeatedly promised but never did provide a certificate of insurance. I suspect he didn't carry any. One morning he called and said he could come over shortly and do all the work, apparently thinking I'd be glad just to have the work done quickly and forget about insurance. I didn't accept that generous offer.
Some weren't interested in what I wanted done; they wanted to reconfigure the work scope I prepared and perform HGTV type jobs. That was the case of a handyman who also enjoyed wandering off topic, explaining that he was some kind of music facilitator. He and friends got together and "jammed" for several hours at someone's house.
He wanted a key to the house, said that instead of replacing the concrete steps as I wanted, he preferred to rebuild the steps into a lovely wooden semi-circular entrance (a la HGTV remodels). He estimated he'd need to be at the house for a week, and wanted a key so he could come and go if I wasn't there. I could imagine police at the house, neighbors up and down the street having complained and called b/c of the loud music and drumming. Obviously I didn't hire him and his request for a key left me feeing very uncomfortable. This wasn't a major house remodel.
Another was through an agency that helps to arrange contractors for older people. All I wanted was trimming around the edge of my 1/3 acre lot, which looks like a meadow very quickly if I can't keep up with it. He decided it would be better to not just do that, but cut down all the volunteer trees (which I can and easily do myself), and stump grind them all. What other contractors have done in an hour or so would be ab 8 hour job for him. When I emphasized that was NOT was I wanted, he became belligerent. At that point I escaped his rant and went into the house.
So, are you going to hire this landscaper?
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Hungry Jack
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Living and dying in 3/4 time...
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Post by Hungry Jack on May 14, 2019 8:40:56 GMT -8
That was rough. To recover, I had to listen to Big Head Todd & The Monster's live performance of "Bittersweet" at Red Rocks. Twice.
I called my realtor, who recommended the guy, and asked if this guy was always like this. She chuckled and said that he was a "bit energetic." I won't have to deal with the guy directly (I live 300 miles away from my father's place), so if his energy is applied at work, so much the better.
The issue is that I asked him to rework our proposal a bit, and he wants to discuss. I get the sense he will do what I ask. I will try to do it all over email.
Sometimes, I lack patience with people.
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Post by Lamebeaver on May 14, 2019 9:10:27 GMT -8
he guy called me. He has been talking nonstop for 9 minutes now. Literally. Brevity seems to be a lost art... Are there other landscapers in the area?
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null
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Post by null on May 14, 2019 9:19:07 GMT -8
The guy called me. He has been talking nonstop for 9 minutes now. Hang up and go elsewhere for a bid. It will only get worse if you continue on with him.
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Post by johntpenca on May 14, 2019 12:42:54 GMT -8
Yup, a first world problem. Sorry to read of your dad's passing. Could be a helluva lot worse.
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Hungry Jack
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Living and dying in 3/4 time...
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Post by Hungry Jack on May 14, 2019 12:57:35 GMT -8
Yup, a first world problem. Sorry to read of your dad's passing. Could be a helluva lot worse. Agreed. I think I'm about the luckiest guy around. My dad had 80 outstanding years. He took care of his kids. The POA / Trustee / Estate stuff has taken up a lot of time, but I feel very lucky to basically write the final chapter of his life (he had dementia).
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Post by johntpenca on May 14, 2019 13:04:46 GMT -8
That is tough to see go down with a parent. Sounds like he had a prosperous life and was a good father.
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Deborah
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Post by Deborah on May 14, 2019 16:15:48 GMT -8
Brevity seems to be a lost art... Are there other landscapers in the area? And that's the truth!
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Deborah
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Post by Deborah on May 14, 2019 16:18:55 GMT -8
That was rough. To recover, I had to listen to Big Head Todd & The Monster's live performance of "Bittersweet" at Red Rocks. Twice. You must be an introvert. I would need to hide somewhere after dealing with someone like that. They drain all of my energy.
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Post by trinity on May 14, 2019 16:47:49 GMT -8
Hang up and go elsewhere for a bid. It will only get worse if you continue on with him. I'm inclined to agree. There's more to a good contractor than just expertise--fit is also very important. He may be a great landscaper but you need to ask yourself; are you prepared to deal with this guy for the long haul? Will you be able to communicate effectively with each other?
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reuben
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Post by reuben on May 14, 2019 17:06:17 GMT -8
I've been known to stick the phone between a couple of couch cushions and just walk away.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on May 14, 2019 17:09:36 GMT -8
I dunno. I can overlook a lot of peculiarities for somebody who shows up predictably and does good work. However, as trinity notes, you have to be able to communicate effectively and maybe for you putting in the effort to make it work isn't worth the trouble.
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toejam
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Post by toejam on May 15, 2019 10:13:28 GMT -8
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ecocentric
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Post by ecocentric on May 17, 2019 7:31:05 GMT -8
Having worked as a landscape contractor, I'm reminded of wealthy clients that managed to negotiate a low bid for the job, then delayed the completion of the project with an endless stream of changes to the bid. If you had a lot of suggestions on his bid, it might take him more time to feel like he was adequately addressing your concerns then what you are interested in. It is in his best interest to be sure that you don't have unrealistic expectations. 10 minutes might be a long time to discuss a $500 job not so much if it is going to be more than $10,000. In the first world, a landscape is usually a last minute thought to decorate the grounds.
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