Tweet
Have you ever had to deal with a contractor? Did he do a good job? Did he show up at your place when he said he was going to? Did he manage to fix things without damaging other things in the process? Were the invoices he gave you around the same amount as the original estimate? If the answer to all of these questions is yes, then congratulations! You found my mother's contractor's "good" twin. We got stuck with the bad twin, who will henceforth be known as Stupid Jerk-Face, or SJF for short.
Last year my mom bought a new apartment. Renovations began in April. At first things were great between mom and SJF; he was very helpful, answering all of mom's questions and giving good advice, and he did great work on both bathrooms. However, slowly but surely, things began to go south, and SJF started treating the job (and my mom) as an annoying intrusion on his life.
He would say he was coming on Wednesday and then not show up until the following Monday. He would do a shoddy, half-assed job and then get annoyed when my mom called him on it and insist he do it over. Finally, the renovations were complete and all that was left was to tally up the final bill, but naturally there was a problem. The following is the abridged version of the conversation I witnessed between mom and SJF:
Mom: This is an order form for double doors.
SJF: Right.
Mom: But I didn't order double doors. This is not my order.
SJF: Yes it is.
Mom: No, it isn't. Besides, I told you I wanted receipts.
SJF: I don't give receipts to my customers.
Mom: You said you would give me receipts.
SJF: Yes, but I don't give receipts to my customers.
Mom: This is NOT what I ordered. I ordered two doors, not double doors. I want the receipt for the doors that I ordered.
SJF: (pause) I lost the receipt.
Mom: Then go back to the store and get a copy.
SJF: (irritated) but I have to drive all the way there, and nobody is going to pay me for that!
Mom: I'm not writing you a check until I have that receipt.
SJF came back the next day, and surprise! he had "found" the receipt. The price difference between the order form he gave my mom and the real receipt? Almost $500.
Oh, and as a bonus, after mom tallied everything up she pointed out that he "forgot" to include the discounts he had promised her. He apologized and corrected the error, and Mom handed him his final check; their business concluded, he slithered off into the sunset.
I have to say that I am very proud of the way my mom handled the situation. She's almost 70, single, and her only son lives hours away, so I think SJF pegged her as someone he could push around. He thought wrong.
If I ever see him again, I think I'l ask him how it feels to be owned by an old lady.
BOOYAH!
Last year my mom bought a new apartment. Renovations began in April. At first things were great between mom and SJF; he was very helpful, answering all of mom's questions and giving good advice, and he did great work on both bathrooms. However, slowly but surely, things began to go south, and SJF started treating the job (and my mom) as an annoying intrusion on his life.
He would say he was coming on Wednesday and then not show up until the following Monday. He would do a shoddy, half-assed job and then get annoyed when my mom called him on it and insist he do it over. Finally, the renovations were complete and all that was left was to tally up the final bill, but naturally there was a problem. The following is the abridged version of the conversation I witnessed between mom and SJF:
Mom: This is an order form for double doors.
SJF: Right.
Mom: But I didn't order double doors. This is not my order.
SJF: Yes it is.
Mom: No, it isn't. Besides, I told you I wanted receipts.
SJF: I don't give receipts to my customers.
Mom: You said you would give me receipts.
SJF: Yes, but I don't give receipts to my customers.
Mom: This is NOT what I ordered. I ordered two doors, not double doors. I want the receipt for the doors that I ordered.
SJF: (pause) I lost the receipt.
Mom: Then go back to the store and get a copy.
SJF: (irritated) but I have to drive all the way there, and nobody is going to pay me for that!
Mom: I'm not writing you a check until I have that receipt.
SJF came back the next day, and surprise! he had "found" the receipt. The price difference between the order form he gave my mom and the real receipt? Almost $500.
Oh, and as a bonus, after mom tallied everything up she pointed out that he "forgot" to include the discounts he had promised her. He apologized and corrected the error, and Mom handed him his final check; their business concluded, he slithered off into the sunset.
I have to say that I am very proud of the way my mom handled the situation. She's almost 70, single, and her only son lives hours away, so I think SJF pegged her as someone he could push around. He thought wrong.
If I ever see him again, I think I'l ask him how it feels to be owned by an old lady.
BOOYAH!
Comment