The Contractor Saga – The Remainder of The Story

I shared this story on Instagram tales every week or so in the past, however I understand that a complete lot of you don’t observe me on Instagram and solely learn my weblog, so let me fill y’all in on what has occurred with our bed room suite and the contractor I employed to get that venture began.

I do know the final time I up to date y’all, I shared that I used to be pissed off. Whereas I hoped the contractor’s a part of the venture would solely take every week, permitting me to get began on putting in the flooring final month, illness and different circumstances (the contractor’s, not ours) had delayed the venture. I used to be pissed off, and I shared that right here, and I do know that a few of you thought I used to be being ungracious for getting upset at somebody being sick. However simply know that I used to be actually holding again with a number of the information as a result of, at the moment, he was nonetheless working right here (sort of), and I had excessive hopes that he would truly end the work and be on his approach.

Properly, it didn’t prove that approach. I ended up firing him, and now I’m left with a much bigger mess than I had anticipated. It’s advantageous, actually. I’m absolutely able to doing the work that he didn’t get completed. However I’m nonetheless shocked at how every thing transpired, so right here’s the remainder of the story that I used to be holding again final time I wrote about it.

First, let me clarify that the individual I employed has completed a number of work at our home previously. He was one of many guys who constructed the carport, after which he got here again and completed the carport final 12 months. He did the drywall in my studio. He was one of many guys who labored on the bedroom-to-master toilet conversion. And I’m positive there’s way more than I’m leaving out. When he first began working right here, he was truly working for one more contractor. And that different contractor stored his guys in line and on schedule. They’d be at my home every morning at 7:50am to be prepared to begin work at 8:00am. They stayed all day, with an hour break for lunch, and labored till round 4:00 every day. When he was working for that different contractor, issues bought completed, and so they have been completed on schedule.

So when this man and one other one determined that they needed to go off on their very own and begin their very own enterprise, I made a decision to stay with them since they’re those who had completed the precise work on my home. I knew their work, and I trusted the standard of their work. Properly, that was an enormous mistake. Some persons are lower out to personal companies and be self-employed. Others are lower out to work for one more individual and wish that oversight. This man falls squarely into that second class.

The primary day he was supposed to indicate as much as work, he stated that he wasn’t feeling properly due to allergy symptoms. Since we not have a scuttle gap to the crawl area (a brand new one will probably be added to the hallway ground within the close to future), he lower a gap within the ground of the visitor bed room (i.e., our future walk-in closet and laundry room) to get a take a look at the plumbing. He stated he was going to buy the required provides, go to the physician for an allergy shot, and present up the subsequent day to work.

Not less than, that’s what he instructed me. He truly didn’t present up the remainder of the week. So we have been left with this gap within the ground for every week.

On Friday of that first week, I texted him at 9:38a to see if he was coming since I hadn’t heard from him, and I didn’t hear from him till 11:13 once we had the next textual content trade:

So the second week, he assured me that he can be right here vivid and early on Monday to work. He didn’t get right here at 8:00am, however he did no less than present up that day. However even that day was a multitude. He introduced helpers with him that day. They confirmed up round 10:00, after which at 10:30 they stated they wanted to go to House Depot to purchase mud masks. I do not know why it takes multiple individual to make that journey, however all of them left. House Depot is a 15-minute drive from our home, and stepping into to purchase mud masks takes about one other quarter-hour. In order that job, which evidently took all three of them, ought to have taken 45 minutes on the most. However they bought again round 11:45. Then they left at 12:30 for lunch, and didn’t come again till after 2:30! They labored for one more half-hour, after which left for the day. And on the finish of the day, as he was leaving, he stated he’d be right here early Tuesday morning to proceed the work.

Tuesday morning, I he didn’t present, and I didn’t hear from him. So at 11:13am, I despatched the next textual content:

I didn’t hear again from him till 1:59pm. He stated that he had overslept (what?!). He apologized and requested me to offer him one other likelihood, saying that he’d have the work completed by that Friday. I gained’t bore you with all the small print of the entire timeline however suffice it to say that the work wasn’t completed by Friday, and such a factor was par for the course for the remainder of the time he labored right here.

He begged me to offer him one other likelihood, and since I’ve identified him for a very long time now, I very stupidly gave him that second likelihood. However then after that, he didn’t present up on one other day when he stated he’d be right here.

On Friday of the subsequent week, he requested if he might work on Saturday to complete up the work. He instructed me that he was going to work from 8:30 to 4:30. He confirmed up late on Saturday, after which at 2:30, he requested if he might work a half day on Sunday. I stated sure (as a result of I simply needed it completed!), after which HE LEFT for the day at 2:30 as a substitute of working till 4:30 like he stated he would.

I wasn’t right here that Sunday morning, however I left a key for him. Matt stated he did come and work for a few hours. I feel that was the tip of the second week. So by the third week, I used to be past pissed off. I simply needed the work DONE. The third week went about such as you’d anticipate, though they have been right here greater than they’d been the earlier week. However as soon as once more, he was purported to be right here on Saturday to complete up the job, and that didn’t occur.

At 10:37am on that Saturday, once I nonetheless hadn’t heard from him, I texted him to see if he was coming. I didn’t hear again from him till 1:43pm when he instructed me that he was on his option to decide up the trailer and head to my home. Then 45 minutes later, I bought one other textual content from him saying that he couldn’t discover his keys, however and as quickly as he discovered them, he’d head my approach. That’s the very last thing I heard from him that day. I didn’t get a textual content. No telephone name. Nothing. Simply…silence.

By that time, I used to be match to be tied. So on Sunday night, I gathered up all of his instruments, piled them on the sidewalk in entrance of our home by the entrance porch steps, and despatched him the next textual content…

I truthfully don’t understand how he has any enterprise at this level. If that’s the best way he treats a long-time buyer, I can’t think about that he treats new prospects with any extra respect. And what a horrible enterprise choice to deal with a long-time, repeat buyer with such disrespect! I simply can’t wrap my head round it.

The craziest factor is that he responded to that textual content saying, “Okay, I’ll have my spouse deliver me within the morning to select them up.” IN THE MORNING?! He had left nearly each device he owns at my home, and so they have been now piled in entrance of my home, and he responded that he’d be there the subsequent morning? He was prepared to depart the literal instruments of his commerce out in a single day, the place anybody might have stolen them? That response was simply as unbelievable as his habits had been the earlier three weeks. If somebody had instructed me that each device I personal had been piled in entrance of their home, I might have been there inside minutes to select them up!

Evidently, he did find yourself coming that night to select them up as a result of by the point we went to mattress at 10:00pm, they have been gone. Properly, most of them have been gone. He truly left behind a ladder and an enormous fan that he makes use of to dry drywall mud. He simply left them!

And so they’re nonetheless there, two weeks later, proper subsequent to the pile of stuff he was purported to haul away on his trailer! I truthfully don’t know what to do with them. I don’t need them, however I additionally don’t need to transfer them as a result of I don’t need to be accused of retaining his ladder and fan and never letting him have them.

In order that’s the remainder of the saga. Hopefully, my irritation at him makes much more sense now. I wasn’t irritated as a result of his and his youngsters have been sick. I used to be irritated on the lack of communication, and the shortage of displaying up when he stated he’d be right here. All it might have taken is communication. In the event you can’t be at my home whenever you say you’re going to be there as a result of you might have sick youngsters, simply textual content me and let me know! However should you’re purported to be right here by 8:30, and you must take sick youngsters to the physician, don’t wait till 11:30 to let me know! Don’t maintain me guessing for hours…or days…whereas I’m anticipating you to be right here. I simply can’t think about what had brought about him to go from being a superb and dependable employee to this.

It’s unhappy that he’s burned this bridge as a result of, with the entire venture we’ve deliberate within the close to future, I alone might have stored him in enterprise for a great deal of this 12 months. And I’m extremely pissed off that I not have a go-to individual to name once I want work completed. Discovering a brand new, dependable contractor to do small to medium jobs is not any straightforward job. So this will likely really be a “again to my DIY roots” sort of 12 months.

(FYI, I edited the unique submit for extra accuracy once I realized I nonetheless had our texts.)