I got sent to a site yesterday and today by myself. It was to finish up a job that had been started by another company, who got fired. Inspection was scheduled for today, afternoon. Boss went to look at Wednesday night, and told me Thursday morning: I'm pretty sure you can get it done by lunch Friday if you hustle, but if not I'll send you a helper Friday, it really needs to be ready for inspection, a reschedule at this point will be an extra $400 and take another week, and we will lose some money.
No worries. I get there, there is still a fair bit of work to do, and it is more difficult because everything is 1/2 done. If 1/2 the things were completely done and 1/2 not started it would be easier and faster to complete. So I hustle. I'm jogging between work areas, and out to the truck to get materials, and I'm moving quickly up and down the ladders, but I am still doing the work carefully. The homeowner, other than saying hello when I show up, doesn't say anything to me, but follows me around and watches me work. (Have I mentioned how much I don't enjoy that - if you think I am a movie pay your $12, otherwise stop watching me!)
All is rolling along nicely when I get a text from boss: Are you jogging around site?
Me: I guess so, I need to hustle to get this done on time
Boss: Please stop jogging, I can send you a help tomorrow if you need it, the customer is concerned that you are rushing and are going to miss things or do something wrong
Me: ?????? Ok I guess
So I make sure I am walking around the house, and trying not to look rushed. I didn't take break in the morning and around 1 I decided to stop for lunch, so I head out to sit in the truck, eat, play on my phone etc. Around 1:20 the customer knocks on the truck window: Are you going to be in here for a while?
Me: I'm just on lunch break, I'll be back in soon.
Him: It's almost 1:30, shouldn't lunch be over by 12:30?
Me: I didn't come out until just after 1pm. I will be back in shortly.
Him: It's just that I have inspection scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, it really needs to be done by then
Me: Yes I was told. It will be done
Him: It just really needs to be done by then, I expected to get about 4 or 5 guys for this.
Me: It's alright, I should be able to get it done myself. I will get more people tomorrow if I need them, it will get done on time.
Him: Well, tomorrow might be too late. I expected more people. I don't want you rushing and missing things. If you're in too much of a hurry you might make a mistake. I don't want it to fail inspection.
Oh so whiny. I head back in and get back to work, trying to make sure all the work gets done on time, without rushing, and trying to ignore mister tcht tcht as he silently judges me. I managed to get quite a lot done, and told boss I could go it alone today.
Go back today, working my ass off, missed morning break again, still trying not to look like I'm rushing (this would be so much quicker if I could just jog between areas!), managed to finish at 12:18. Go for slightly leisurely lunch (I drove to town and got a coffee, so I wouldn't have to deal with lunchus interuptus) and come back to clean up. Inspector gets there around 1:15, clears everything by 1:30, just as I finished packing up to go. Inspector said "looks good" to me as he finished off his paperwork, handed it to the customer, and left.
As I'm leaving the customer comes up to me: Wow, sorry I was hard on you yesterday, I really didn't think you would get that done by yourself so quickly, and it passes inspection. I really thought that would take more guys.
Me: That's ok, I'm glad it's done for you
(It's not really ok, but what can you say? And I am glad it's done, I want out of here.
Him: You're really something special aren't you?
Soooooo. I get that he really apologized to me, acknowledged my abilities, and appreciated it. I don't know if it was his tone, or the way he rankled me yesterday, but when he said that, what I heard was "I'm really kind of a condescending asshole, aren't I?"
Glad not to be going back.
No worries. I get there, there is still a fair bit of work to do, and it is more difficult because everything is 1/2 done. If 1/2 the things were completely done and 1/2 not started it would be easier and faster to complete. So I hustle. I'm jogging between work areas, and out to the truck to get materials, and I'm moving quickly up and down the ladders, but I am still doing the work carefully. The homeowner, other than saying hello when I show up, doesn't say anything to me, but follows me around and watches me work. (Have I mentioned how much I don't enjoy that - if you think I am a movie pay your $12, otherwise stop watching me!)
All is rolling along nicely when I get a text from boss: Are you jogging around site?
Me: I guess so, I need to hustle to get this done on time
Boss: Please stop jogging, I can send you a help tomorrow if you need it, the customer is concerned that you are rushing and are going to miss things or do something wrong
Me: ?????? Ok I guess
So I make sure I am walking around the house, and trying not to look rushed. I didn't take break in the morning and around 1 I decided to stop for lunch, so I head out to sit in the truck, eat, play on my phone etc. Around 1:20 the customer knocks on the truck window: Are you going to be in here for a while?
Me: I'm just on lunch break, I'll be back in soon.
Him: It's almost 1:30, shouldn't lunch be over by 12:30?
Me: I didn't come out until just after 1pm. I will be back in shortly.
Him: It's just that I have inspection scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, it really needs to be done by then
Me: Yes I was told. It will be done
Him: It just really needs to be done by then, I expected to get about 4 or 5 guys for this.
Me: It's alright, I should be able to get it done myself. I will get more people tomorrow if I need them, it will get done on time.
Him: Well, tomorrow might be too late. I expected more people. I don't want you rushing and missing things. If you're in too much of a hurry you might make a mistake. I don't want it to fail inspection.
Oh so whiny. I head back in and get back to work, trying to make sure all the work gets done on time, without rushing, and trying to ignore mister tcht tcht as he silently judges me. I managed to get quite a lot done, and told boss I could go it alone today.
Go back today, working my ass off, missed morning break again, still trying not to look like I'm rushing (this would be so much quicker if I could just jog between areas!), managed to finish at 12:18. Go for slightly leisurely lunch (I drove to town and got a coffee, so I wouldn't have to deal with lunchus interuptus) and come back to clean up. Inspector gets there around 1:15, clears everything by 1:30, just as I finished packing up to go. Inspector said "looks good" to me as he finished off his paperwork, handed it to the customer, and left.
As I'm leaving the customer comes up to me: Wow, sorry I was hard on you yesterday, I really didn't think you would get that done by yourself so quickly, and it passes inspection. I really thought that would take more guys.
Me: That's ok, I'm glad it's done for you
(It's not really ok, but what can you say? And I am glad it's done, I want out of here.
Him: You're really something special aren't you?
Soooooo. I get that he really apologized to me, acknowledged my abilities, and appreciated it. I don't know if it was his tone, or the way he rankled me yesterday, but when he said that, what I heard was "I'm really kind of a condescending asshole, aren't I?"
Glad not to be going back.
Comment