Meeting Expectations

The replacement of all existing windows with high-e windows seemed to go well for two days; however, the job is not finished and it’s been almost a month since the crew left with promises to return. Yes, I paid in full – part in cash (at his request) and the rest in a check that has been cashed. Yes, I know that the bill should never be paid until the job is finished, but it was the week before Christmas and the man in charge of the project, who lives within a mile of me, told me he’d be back Tuesday to finish the job. There is maybe a couple of hours of work left, just cutting and installing some moulding around the new door inside and out.

And then he’d be back the Monday after Christmas. And then he stopped by to tell me that he got hung up with another job and would not be able to finish until Monday, Jan 4. And then he stopped by the night of the 5th and told me he’d be here on the 7th. And here it is, Jan 9, and the job is still not finished. If he’d called each time he was not going to be able to keep his promise to finish the job, I wouldn’t be so angry, but he didn’t.

I’m tired of calling him and leaving messages that are not returned. He did stop by the house one evening (Jan 5), unannounced, after dark, to explain why he was (again) a bit behind. I told him that if I had to do it over, he would have received half the payment after the first two days of work and the other half when he actually finishes the job. He apologized, and that’s when I got the promise that he’d be here this past Thursday … and still have not heard from him.

I’m taking a year off from house projects that I cannot do myself as I am a really bad judge of character and keep getting taken by the people I hire to work for me. When I give my word, I keep it, even when it means that I have to make a personal sacrifice to do so. If I cannot keep a commitment, I at least call the person so they don’t sit and wait for me to show up!