Our homeowners planned to get new windows installed for their home. The plan is to put new windows in our spare room (the office/cat lounge) and they are going to cut new windows into the wall for our living room. The house is built on a slope so the office/cat lounge is above ground while the living room is below ground. Therefore, the extra windows in the living room would really brighten up the space and for the first time we'll have living room windows that open. Hurrah.
Okay not so fast. Time passes. Someone comes in and assesses the job. We plan and it's early June. More time passes. Actually a month passes. We're down to any day now. So a couple of weeks pass and finally we get word that yes the installers will be arriving tomorrow (which is today) and will start early at 7ish. Great.
Last night M & Deb. came down to install a plastic zip wall that will cover the area where the installers will be cutting out the new window. Our living room is cut in half, but it's a big room so I don't mind. We move the furniture, cover it in plastic as well. I plan to put the cats in the bedroom for the day and as luck would have it I happen to be off so great I can hang out with the cats in the bedroom, keep them calm and feeling loved, while the windows go in.
Up at 6:15 this morning (same time db returns from his run?! Still hard to believe for me. He's doing great) and I go about setting up the cat camp out room. It looks pretty cozy and fun for them. 7 am passes. 8 am rolls around. I'm not surprised. I watched sis deal with contractors back on Margueretta so all of this seems very likely.
8:30 Deb calls. The installers are running late and will arrive around 9.
Gigi is settling into her usual morning nap location in the cat lounge so I decide to set up the kitties in the bedroom. So they're set up before 9.
Then, 9:30 rolls around. I know the installers have arrived, but why haven't they come down to start yet? Deb calls. These are new installers and not the original guy who came to see the house and mapped out a plan for the work. These new installers apparently had no idea the house was built on a slope and they aren't prepared properly for the cut out, nor do they have the right scaffolding for the job (whatever that means). Furthermore, contractor informs M & Deb that the original guy no longer works for him. So there will be no work today.
I let the cats out of the bedroom.
10:30 M calls and offers to take down the zip wall. He says he'll know more tomorrow once the contractor has fixed the problem (yeah, we'll see). He's very apologetic, but really it's not his fault and I tell him not to worry about the wall it's not a big inconvenience for us so we'll leave it up until we know what's going on for sure.
It was too good to be true. So now we wait and wait. This seems all too common in the contractor business. What the hell is going on?
3 comments:
Ah, the joys of having to deal with contractors. Still, at least the cats get to play around and enjoy their entire territory. Gotta look on the bright side!
My neighbour is expecting a delivery today. She was told it would come "sometime between 7am and 7pm". See? It's the same all over the world (not that that's any consolation...).
It's true as long as the cats are having a good time it works for me.
I am comforted somehow knowing that this is a global experience.
I don't know how they get away with it- from Mike Holmes complaining about it as a contractor himself on his national show to every one I now that has ever had to deal with them, it seems to be de rigeur. Which is still not acceptable in my mind. It's like setting a pay sclae or a rate and agreeing to a contract and then completely ignoring it- why bother? Why not just say, "hey, ya know, maybe we'll try to do it today or maybe later- you know, whatever..." It's a bit of west coast vibe thing too that's wearing on me out here- I see this lack of efficiency and inattention to detail more so out here than in other places I've worked. I hope it does happen, though - it will be a great change.
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