mild rant, contractors and repair folks

4x4van wrote:


I have no problem being told no. I DO have a problem being ignored, or worse, being told that you will show up at a certain time and then you don't bother. Newsflash, my time is just as important as yours, if not more so.

That statement shows a strong sense of entitlement. You don't like being ignored? Well, how does your rights of attention trump my rights of not being bothered? In this case, the customer calls the contractor, not the other way around. Should I feel a required to respond to something that I didn't request? That's really no different than a spam call or junk mail. Your time is absolutely not important than my time...and vice versa.

There seems to be a common theme in this thread that when the economy turns, somehow those people who didn't return calls will be hurting. However, when the economy turns, it effects everyone...contractor and customer. During these times, the customer's budget will also be looking for the most competitive price. Money has a funny way of convincing people to do things that they once said they wouldn't do on an Internet forum.

Depsite all the back and forth, it should be noted that there is a plethora of contractor types, from those who do only service work to those who only work when they are selected through a dog and pony show. Not everyone is on call 24/7 and not everyone relies on referrals, word of mouth, or websites testimonials for work. I do a lot of work for clients that have never heard of me, but I pursued them and their work and put on a good showing. I've never made a house call or sent a service truck to fix a problem. So my line of work is somewhat unique...which is why I don't entertain cold calls.