June 23, 2006
More then 15 minute notice is needed.
Dammit! I took the day off of work to have the Air Conditioner installed. I made sure the electrical was all up and working so there would be no problems. I even made sure that I cleaned out the area the unit was going to go and kept it clean. Since I was going to be home, I kept Clone for the day. No need taking him to the sitter if Daddy’s going to be home.
All was going well, I woke up early to make sure I was ready for them. I made a special breakfast for Clone and I. Just as I was sitting down to type up a post, the phone rings. It’s from the contractor. They can’t come today. Mother Farker! It pissed me off. I scheduled this day two weeks ago just to make sure there wouldn’t be any problems. I took the time off of work to have this done. They call the farkin’ day of the installation and want to reschedule.
Contractor: “Mr. Contagion. I’m sorry, but we are not going to be able to come out today to install the air conditioner. We’re going to need to reschedule.”
Me, “Wait… you’re calling me the day of the installation to tell me you can’t come? I took the day off of work to be here.”
Contractor: “I’m really sorry, when is the next available day we can come to install it?”
Me, “Tomorrow.”
Contractor: “… Tomorrow is Saturday.”
Me, “Yes it is, but I took today off of work to have this done. If you had told me yesterday I could have gone into work today and not lost the time. I won’t be able to take another day off in a while due to other peoples vacations. So it’s either tomorrow, or I cancel and go with another company.”
Contractor: “We’ll be out tomorrow. Is the same time okay?”
Me, “Yes, yes it is.”
Maybe I was being a bit of an asshole to the guy. I just don’t care. Too many people anymore don’t realize that other people work. If you want us to do something in the middle of the week, we can’t just leave work or tell them, “Hey, I’m not coming in.” Well I guess you could, but you’d be jobless pretty damn quick. I know I wouldn’t be this irritated if they had called me yesterday and said something, but they didn’t. They called me late this morning. I just find that highly unacceptable.
Not to scare you or anything - but I'd have done the same thing you did. Hell - I have!
Good for you. Maybe now they'll think before they pull that again!!!
Posted by: Tammi at June 23, 2006 01:06 PMI'm a stay at home mom and have done something similar. Just because I'm 'home' doesn't mean I don't have doctor appointments and other things I need to take care of at a specific time.
Posted by: vw bug at June 23, 2006 01:20 PMno, you were NOT an asshole. Just because he's rendering you a service, that doesn't mean you have to sit on your ass for days losing $$ waiting for him to get his pathetic act together.
Posted by: caltechgirl at June 23, 2006 01:22 PMAre they doing this for free? In that case you were being an asshole. On the other hand if they are going to paid, as I see it, the money is coming out of your pocket. In which case you are not being an asshole. Utility companies are the worst about doing this and I hate it. When I schedule an appointment, I make sure I am there and I expect the same. You should have gone down to their office with the blunderbuss. But your way worked just as well.
Posted by: Tink at June 23, 2006 06:01 PMThink of it this way - if you hadn't been there for some reason when they showed up, or had called them that morning to tell them you couldn't have them install that day, they would have charged you extra for the visit. If they make YOU give 24 hour notice when you can't keep an appointment, then they have to do the same for you. I'm betting somewhere in the contract is a 24 hour clause for canceling an installation appointment...
Posted by: Teresa at June 23, 2006 07:35 PMI work with contractors on a daily basis. At least they did call. I have been working to get a building finshed and would have things scheduled, sometimes having people traveling 2-5 hours from Iowa to be there after they are done. The subs don't call, and don't show. The worst was trying to get the fire sprinklers finished. The sub had 4 hours of work to do. Supposed to be on site Monday morning. 9:30, no sub. Make phone call, leave voice mail. Do the same again at 1/2 hour intervals the rest of the day. Sub shows up WEDNESDAY. Says they had emergency service to do. Arseholes could have just told me that. I would have understood.
Posted by: Petey at June 24, 2006 09:37 PMThis was probably one of the few times in your life when you WEREN'T being an asshole :-D
Posted by: Harvey at June 26, 2006 12:29 PMYou tell them Silent Bob!!! After all your a big name superstar and they are working for you!!
Posted by: Red at June 27, 2006 09:24 AM
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