So the plumber calls and tells me he’ll be at my place next Tuesday some time between 9am and 12noon.
On Tuesday I sit home all morning waiting for the plumber like a person condemned to house arrest, except that I’m not wearing the legal ankle bracelet. He calls around 12:30 to apologize, seems he’s running a bit late, but he’ll make it by 2.
As good as his word, he shows up around 2. Evidently he had been too busy to call between 9 and noon.
Remarkable. I got to thinking of the business I ran for quite a number of years. If I ever called a client and said I’d come to his office for a meeting next Tuesday and I’d be there some time between 9 and 12, I would not have a happy client.
And if I then showed up at 2, I’d never see that client again – not even from a distance.
So come on, plumbers, painters, carpet cleaners, refrigerator repairmen, give us a break. Mention a time when you plan to show up and then make an effort to arrive at least within an hour of that time. If you see you’re not going to be able to make it, remember that great invention of Alexander Graham Bell (who invented the Graham Cracker) and give us a call.
How about you? Ever have a waiting-for-the-plumber experience?
26 comments:
Ah, I do relate to Waiting!! Great, fun post for the W day! Hope you have a good week! Enjoy!
Sylvia
Not to mention doctors... .-)
I just assume they're lying and store up PLENTY of reading material...
ROG, ABC Wednesday team
Sylvia K: "Great, fun post for the W day!"
Thanks for the kind words, Sylvia.
RuneE: "Not to mention doctors..."
I don't know about Norge, but in our country doctors stopped making house calls decades ago. :-)
Roger Owen Green: "I just store up PLENTY of reading material."
Good system. :-)
Ah, yes! And how 'bout the ones who say they'll be there at 2pm but show up at 10:30am while you're out running errands! Sometimes we just can't win for heck!
Rick
Just getting the suggestion that it would be 'morning', Berowne, is very advanced!!
Rick: "And how 'bout the ones who show up at 10:30am while you're out running errands!"
Yes, them too. :-)
I don't mind if they're late, as long as they don't show their butt crack.
I really dislike sitting around and waiting for the repairmen. I absolutely dislike those that don't bother to call when they are late. My time is valuable too.
Shock and headline news - the last plumber I had rang to let me know what time he was going to arrive, although technically he was a heating engineer, does that make a difference. He fixed the fault and guess what, I'll be using that company again.
Usually Roger's reading material is the only remedy against a weary wait.
Usually I do the work on me own, saving time and money. Please have a great Wednesday.
daily athens
Willow, you're too funny. Berowne, I used to be married to a plumber and it seems that it is part of the screening process to become a plumber one must exhibit a keen ability to be vague about times, costs and scope of the problem. They are closely related to politicians in that respect.
Ha! When do we NOT have to wait? And wait.... And I'm definitely riding Willow's bus on the butt crack situation. Ewwwwww.
Worse. When they arrive, they can't fix the problem without a second appointment. Whew. Waiting. I have no patience. Good W.
How about the ones that want to chat for an hour once they arrive. I get those. Two minutes to fix the leak and an hour to chit chat. That must be why they're late to next appointments!
I HATE waiting around for these people. They could do their business a great service by not giving us a 8 hour time spand and give us a within a hour spand. That would greatly help their business by word of month. Wouldn't that be great? Is their time greater than ours. I think not. Maybe you shouldn't have gotten me started on the waiting for repair people.
On behalf of the ABC Wed. team, thanks for participating.
You're absolutely right. I often say the same thing. If any other kind of business treated their clients like that, they'd soon be OUT of business!
Even worse is the waiting in the doctor's office. There's an appointment I want to see occur on time. Banish the days of waiting, thumbing through magazines. We pay them enough. Thanks for the opportunity to vent!
Good venting! It's hrd to find someone who gets in time when we need, really.
Kisses from Nydia.
It's the same here in UK! As you say, if my husband didn't keep a prompt business appointment he wouldn't have any customers!
Great post though, lots of people identified with your experience!
Denise ABC Team
Oh yes, the plumbers, the carpet fitters, the deliverymen, the painters, the postmen, the everyone who gets paid by the hour. And thinks they can be paid for the ones when I never see them.
I have been waiting, here in Spain, since last August...for all the lamp fittings to be replaced. Does that count?
'Waiting' is a very good W-word. Life is filled with waiting. But do something while you wait, so the time will not be completely wasted. If I don't hve a good book with me or drawing materials, I try to think about problem-solving.
Happy Weekend!
Anna
Anna's W-Words
Damn! I didn't know that AGB invented the graham cracker. Wow, the things I learn on the aphabet posts is priceless. (I already knew about the Navajo time kept by all self-respecting repair folks.)
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