I spend a lot of time at home, writing reports and waiting for inspection calles, etc, especially during the slow times between Thanksgiving and New Years when few people are buying houses.
And I noticed something.
I recieved an average of 5 phone calls a day that were solicitations (both on my home phone line, and on my business line). people wanting to sell me web SEO services (Sorry, I do my own) and insurance and people trying to sell me “home improvement” work.
Around here, and we usually see it in the summer months, but are now seeing year round, there are many what we call “Irish Travelers”, i.e., un-licensed, non-professional tradesmen who sell inferior materials and service and are impossible to find when the new roof leaks or the new tile in the bathroom shower starts falling off. You know the type.
I also get them coming to the door, and they won’t take no for an answer!
So, this afternoon, the doorbel rang and the daughter beat me to it. Two guys, the usual pitch.
“Good afternoon, sir. We are with &&&&& home improvement and we will be starting a job, just down the street, and want you to know if you have any questions or need any work…”.
Right then, I cut them off. I said “Goodbye, and don’t come back.”
They got all offended, “Why are you being like that? We were just informing you of our work and our services, in case you need any work done…”. Me: “No, I don’t need any work done and I wouldn’t hire you if I did. See that truck in mu driveway? I make a living inspection crap work, I don’t need any on my house! Get off my property!”
They act all offended, but they would not leave. I kept telling them to leave, but they just stood there telling me that I was being unreasonable and how my neighbors had greeted them and why was I being so mean.
I just kept saying, “Get off my property.”.
And I really felt like getting mu gun.
Not to shoot them or even load it, but just to demonstrate that I REALLY DIDN"T WANT THEM TO DO ANY WORK ON MY HOUSE!!!.
I slammed the door on them, but they kept ringing my bell, asking me why I was being so “unfriendly”.
Have I been doing this job too long? I have seen so much crappy work, and (not as a home inspection, but as a consultation, when people have problems) explaining to soooo many people that they have paid good money to have some clowns do crappy work, which they are going to have to pay much more money to have fixed by compitent professionals to fix. It’s like telling people that they have cancer, for Gosh sakes!
So, am I losing it? Do any of you have advice?
Thanks;