Sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it’s not. Many of you have been following along with me on this journey of moving to the new house. There have been some ups and downs and lots of work along the way and, in July, we’ll be living here one year already. Hard to believe. Time flies . . . yada yada, yada.
Last September, for the entire month of September, we had the whole house painted by Jimmy/Eldin (for Murphy Brown fans). It was quite expensive, but it was a big job . . . 6.5 rooms and hallway with ceilings and closets. You may recall how complimentary I was of Jimmy’s work, how neat he was and how he paid attention to detail. You may also remember how much I appreciated my electrician/handyman, Frank, who did a lot of electrical work and anything I asked of him, as long as he knew how. While Jimmy was here working, I offered him drinks and meals, mostly which he declined. When Jimmy left we had paid him in full, over $5,000 (labor & materials) and we gave him a $400 bonus, which amounted to an extra day’s pay. We felt he earned it and he was very grateful. As he left he said if we had a problem with anything we should call him and he would take care of it. Of course I took him at his word, but didn’t expect to run into any issues. As the cold weather moved in, the caulking he used to seal cracks in the molding stretched and cracked. In the basement one of the walls developed a straight-line crack about 18 inches long. Not too noticeable, but I wanted it fixed. I texted Jimmy and he called in February to see what I needed. I explained what had happened and he said he would come over and take a look. While here he made a few notes and I also added a couple of other jobs I wanted done. He said he was busy at the time, but promised he wouldn’t forget about us and left. At the end of April I texted Jimmy to see if he had an idea when he might be coming to do these few jobs. No answer. I called and left a message. No answer. I emailed him. No answer. Needless to say I was upset, more hurt than angry really. He could have at least texted to say he was busy and hadn’t forgotten about me. But no, he couldn’t even spare the time to do that.
Now it’s June. We had a heavy downpour of rain and it was obvious the gutters needed cleaning. Frank had told me he would take care of them whenever I needed him to. So yesterday I texted Frank and asked him if he could call when he had a minute. He called me two minutes later. I told him the gutters needed cleaning and an outlet needed to be changed, and I also had a couple of other jobs if he could do them for me. He said he would come the next day and take a look. He showed up today two hours early. It was good to see him. We caught up quickly on our families and then I told him about the gutters, the gfi outlet, and all the jobs I had told Jimmy about. Frank took notes and said he could come next week on Monday and Tuesday. He apologized for the delay, but said they were having a big graduation party for his son on Saturday. I told him it wasn’t a problem, none of it was an emergency and he could even come evenings during the week so he could keep his weekends free. That Frank is such a nice guy and so dependable.
Meanwhile, I sent Jimmy an email back at the end of April so he doesn’t have to worry about coming back here.
Hi Jimmy,
Happy Easter. I hope things are going well for you.
I have to write this note because it's the only way I can communicate with you. I am very disappointed to say the least. I don't understand why you haven't returned my calls or texts over the past 3 weeks. When you came in February to check on the couple of things I had problems with, you said don't worry I won't forget about you guys. That was over 2 months ago. Maybe you haven't forgotten us, but what I think is worse than forgetting is not responding to a simple text message. I just wanted to touch base with you and get an idea when you could come. I thought we left off on good terms when you finished the job here. You said if there were any problems we should call. I waited to call until after the holidays because you said it was typically your slow period. Luckily you have been working steadily, and I'm happy for you. But I would have liked these minor things here fixed at some point. I'm getting the feeling it's not going to happen and it's upsetting to me, especially since I knew you to be a person who always tries to do the right thing. I don't get it.
Anyway, I hope you have a productive year with your jobs, your antiquing furniture, and have made progress with your invention. I wish you the best.
Nina
No comments:
Post a Comment