CONTRACTORS: Do they target women or do they pull the same ruses on men?

[MRS. CLEAN]

I'd put it this way:

99% of contractors give the others a bad name.

Mrs. Clean

Malcolm Hoar wrote:

[Banty]

I'd put it this way:

If you have problems with 99% of just about anything, the problem is with you.

Banty

[MRS. CLEAN]

LOL

I'd also put it with way:

99% of attorneys give the others a bad name.

[jah213]

Am I the only one who thinks Mrs. C is just trying to pick a fight lately? Same with her rant about laying tile. No advice asked for or needed -- apparently just needs to vent and insult as many trades and genders as she can while she's at it.

Jo Ann

Banty wrote:

[MRS. CLEAN]

LOL

I am collecting antedoctal evidence, but it appears there is objective evidence to support my experiences.

Regards, Mrs. Clean

[e-mail] wrote:

CLEAN

[bambam]

Pretty much. We sneak up on everyone we can.

Nope. The dumbest are the contractors themselves. Be better off as a civil servant with a whopping great, indexed pension.

Ken

[BobK207]

I think I figured out Mrs. C's requirement.....

she wants the job done in the fashion of the typical high bidder but at a cost of the low bid.

Mrs. C you can have the job done

fast, cheap or good ......pick two

this rule holds true pretty much all of the time

unless you are extremely lucky, then you might get all three

cheers Bob

[Oren]

Until the fund is robbed blind and then abandoned for a "newer, better pension" - later to be plundered....

-- Oren

"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."

[Banty]

What - one person mentions that BBB shows a lot of contractor complaints? Nothing about what number panned out to be real issues, what the total number of jobs was, if customer expectations were in line with reality, or anything like that?

Oh yeah - you heard what you want to hear, one poster had something on that order; you're set.

I, and others, have told you some approaches to get *good* folks working for you. I think you've also pretty much let on that your expectations may be out of line.

But you'd rather believe your 99% number and strut around and laugh about it. I mean, certainly there's room for reasonable complaints and concerns about this, but not like you're doing here.

OK, whatever, whatever floats your boat, but you're being a crotchety jerk about this and and probably getting your jollies pulling our chains a bit. And any credibility you had is going down the toilet.

Banty

[srazor]

This kind of ties in with my post about craftmen being thieves,

I explain to all my customers how I bill : I use a basic rate book with the various pay scales for each trade, show them the rate, briefly explain my overhead and profit mark ups and work involved for a particular project. I invite them to ask questions, etc I have been in business for only 4+ years and I am looking to add my 3rd employee. I am booking projects for next May. I feel good about my work and sleep well at night. I have no idea how other contractors in my city or any others work/conduct business but the practice I have developed seems to be working well. Strangely enough I have gotten referrals because, as the customer said, I called back and showed up when I said I would.

[Jeff Wisnia]

This thread got me wondering if anyone can offer comments about whether any seriously useful contractor selection help can be gotten from Angie's List?

Jeff

[NickySantoro]

Are all customers liars?

[HeyBub]

Then how do you explain the "official" super-double-secret calendar for contractors I recently saw?

It had no Mondays on it.

[Lisa BB.]

"MRS. CLEAN" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

No, they just Think they can get away with it toward women. I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOO SICK OF SOME CONTRACTORS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JoeSpareBedroom]

If you the right questions, they can't get away with as much. It's said that men are unable to say "I don't know", but I think women are equally full of pride at times. How about asking friends for ideas about questions to ask, instead of putting up a wall and pretending to know what everyone is talking about?

[buffalobill]

it is great to hear of your level of satisfaction. it is a great measure of success. remember to continue your attentive salesmanship and performance with each customer. an excellect contractor i know suffered mentally for quite awhile after the first weasel screwed him on payment. you will achieve continued recommendations with follow up visit and periodic phone calls or christmas cards. [for roofers, santa claus cards come to mind.] while we were here we saw your ____ needed repair and took care of that for you. when the contractor shows up bringing coffee and donuts to the homeowner 20 minutes early and vacuums every splinter out of the driveway at the end of each day, he'll have a happy customer for life.

srazor wrote:

various pay scales for each trade, show them the rate, briefly explain my overhead and profit mark ups and work involved for a particular project. I invite them to ask questions, etc I have been in business for only 4+ years and I am looking to add my 3rd employee. I am booking projects for next May. I feel good about my work and sleep well at night. I have no idea how other contractors in my city or any others work/conduct business but the practice I have developed seems to be working well. Strangely enough I have gotten referrals because, as the customer said, I called back and showed up when I said I would.

[RobertPatrick]

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in news:73n6h.5517$ [e-mail]:

Please let me know, I'm in Charlotte (pronounced char- LOTTE, so you know I'm really from Kodak city/flour city/flower city.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

AutoWorks of Mendon

624-4457 Joe Ricci (service writer, customer harassment specialist, mechanic when the phone's not distracting him) Scot (with one "T") - mechanic Bruce - mechanic

Believe me when I tell you it's worth the trip out there, especially if your car's reaching the age when you're beginning to expect mysteries, and you want someone who can spot problems ahead of time & help you budget for the repairs. These guys have no problem with customers who want to be in the work area so they can see what's being done. They're all good teachers. You'll learn a lot about your car, if you're interested. They are all comedians, and the customers are the unwitting straight men. It's something you have to get used to.

Tell Joe you were recommended by the pain-in-the-ass customer with the black Toyota pickup, formerly a white Taurus. He'll know who.

Take 104 to 590 south, get off the 2nd Monroe exit, and then a right turn on Clover. I can't quite explain the rest - you'll need a map. From the Monroe-Clover intersection, it's 10 minutes away if you don't run into too many school buses or construction vehicles.

[HeyBub]

You've got to speak the language. For example:

Dilbert: "I think it's the radiator cap." Mechanic: "What did you say?!!" Dilbert: "I think it's the #&*!!@ radiator cap." Mechanic: "Well, why didn't you say so?" Dilbert: "Sorry, I forgot where I was."

[Banty]

And folks, if you think that's a funny pronounciation, wait till you hear how they pronounce "Chili, New York". :)

Banty