You know what really grinds my gears?

[Jims5543]

When your friends all need you to drop what you are doing to take care of a problem for them. Being a land surveyor I get this a lot. No problem they are friends I always try to help as best as I can.

I have helped 2 people out lately and I am getting pissed. One asked me to work over a weekend and get him a commercial survey for a closing early the next week.  I did it, hired a halper paid him $100 and only charged the guy $500 for a $1200 survey.  He never paid me, almost 2 years now, now he needs something on his personal home and wants me to drop what I am doing to take care of him.

Second guy is a good friend ex employee, he owns a AC company. He has needed my services many times over the last year and I was always jumping for him. The AC on my office acts up from time to time, as I type this it is 82° in here and rising.

I asked him at the beginning of the summer to do a service call as a preventative measure, he never did it I did not harass him.

Now I am asking for some help, asked at noon today, 4 hours later no answer.  Getting ready to close the place early because it is starting to get uncomfortable in here. Which now costs me money because I need my staff in the office but I am not an asshole that is going to make them sit in here and sweat.

[94touring]

...

[John Gervais]

Call a different AC company?

[jeff10049]

Ya hate to do it but send the first guy a bill with late charges and interest. After that if no payment send again with notice of going to collections (and do it if you got to) if they say wtf tell em like it is you did them a favor at less than half price at the drop of a hat and they dick you around on payment. What kind of fuckin friend are they if they can't respect that? On the new deal he needs just explain you can't do it until his bill is paid plus payment up front on the new deal because of the serious delinquency on his account. After its all cleared up you'll reinstate his terms  for the next one since you're friends and all.

Next guy leave message or email and just come right out and say it hey man did you a few favours and now I need help with my a/c if you just  can't fit me in I understand and i'll call somebody else this time, but give a call let me know whats up thats only fair. again if they won't do it eff em next time they need something they go on the regular list or pay double time.

I like trade deals and have friends it works great with and yes sometimes it hits at a bad time for one or the other but I know it will come back around. the ones that don't ever come through get a lesson in not taking advantage of me as they go right to the back of the line the next time.

It's not that I really keep score you don't have to with real friends it all comes around but when it never seems to I start getting pisssed like you.

Or if somebody is hard up and just can't do it and is a friend I'll let it go but communication is key here if you just dick me around i'll get pissed in a hurry and send you to collections for the full amount.

If they really are friends you won't loose them over putting your foot down they'll just come through and realize they milked it too long no biggie it happens. If they get pissed screw em you don't need em.

[Jims5543]

Jeff,

I blew off five hundred dollar and told him I was buried in work and would try to get to his problem when I could.

AC guy never replied to me, which kind of cheeses me off, I am not the type to harass people, when he needed surveys for inspections on his house additions, I was always right there for him, sometimes same day service, always for free.

I never expect free from him just honesty. Which is VERY lacking in the HVAC industry down here in Florida. If you knew the markup on home units you would crap yourself. I know a lot of AC guys and I have seen what they pay versus what they charge. 4X to 6X markup is normal.

In other words a compressor and air handler that costs them $1200 to buy they install in your home for 5K to 7K.

AC is working fine today, there was an AC company installing a new unit on another office yesterday and I am starting to wonder if they threw a main breaker downstairs or something. It is nice and cool in here now.

If I do not hear back by tomorrow, I am hiring another company to do a service call. I know some other people just not as good.

Sucks.

[Jims5543]

500 hundred dollar has been blowing up my phone all while I am on vacation. I miss most messages as my coverage is spotty so I get them a lot of times hours after they are sent.

I spend some time emailing him while I vacation only to get more text messages each one getting ruder. I finally told him this exact statement.  "Check your fucking email"

Then I get a snotty email whining how he had no idea I was on vacation and he was "searching" for my emails wrong.  Which makes no sense, how do you have to search for emails sent that day or the day before?  You get so many you do not see it come in? I still have not read past the first sentence of his response to me. nor do I care.

I will deal with him next week.

[Merlin]

Get a google phone number. Give it to dickheads and shut it off when they become an annoyance. It works a treat.

[jeff10049]

Get a google phone number. Give it to dickheads and shut it off when they become an annoyance. It works a treat.

Yes gonna do it.

[DS1980]

Wow, I was expecting worn sychros when I opened this thread.
I was wrong.

[MiniDave]

Ha!

[MPlayle]

If the thread is in the "Lounge" area, it could be about anything!