funny story

[huggytree]

I just send this builder $100 gift cert. for a $5k lead, so im in a good mood when it comes to him...

anyways...he calls today....gas line to the range is in the wrong spot...can you come and move it....i say yes and show up within 1 hour....gas line was EXACTLY where he said it should go...electrical and range hood are also wrong...somehow the layout changed...so i spend 15 minutes and fix it...just one of those things...

i get a call 10 minutes later(ive been driving for 10 min)....now there is no gas to the range...come back and cap it off under the cabinet..so i go back and fix it..

i get a call 15 minutes later(ive been driving for 15 min)....now there is gas to the cooktop instead...so i go back and redo it for a cooktop...i wait 1 hour for heating contractor to complete his work, so i can get the cabinet in and finish my work.....

over all 2 hours screwing around...completely unpaid....i did add $120 to his job for the cooktop (my normal upcharge for this since i will have to spend extra time on the finish later on)....

im very annoyed.....i will probably add 2 hours onto his next job.

[Steve B]

"i will probably add 2 hours onto his next job."

Why don't you be honest with him and add it to this job where it belongs?

[huggytree]

because he probably views the location mistake as everyone elses and not his...he probably views the location mistake as mine and the change from range to cooktop as being no big deal.....he will probably be mad about the $120 upcharge......all that $ is coming out of his pocket more than likely.....and yes it should because he screwed up....but i doubt he views it as 'his screw up'

because i want him as a future customer ill let it go....if it happens again and again i obviously cant let that go....this job has a very low profit...if it had a normal profit i would care...im lowering my prices on remodels a bit and once in a while it gets alittle too low....

[Paper Shredder Clay]

That is sadly one of those cost-of-doing-business things. It's never fun to have such a call. However, I would have made it clear in the call before going out there that the trip would not be covered by previous work done, but that it is a separate job, or at least that you would come out and look for free and then let them know what charges if any would be involved.

[huggytree]

im realizing that this is a common occurance with this builder..

today i went to do a gas line at a different house for him...he said the homeowner marked the location for a outside gas grill...all i could find was a hello kitty sticker...so i drilled through their siding (after calling the builder of course)....

found out the homeowner placed a rock as their marker....just crazy!!!...how can a rock next to the house be a marker for anything??

now i have to redo that one for free too....yea i should charge...but ill let it go too.

as the economy keeps going down im finding myself becoming a softy