Me and My Lousy Service

I swear there is a neon sign over my head that says, "Give me poor customer service"

The thing is I am more than polite and courteous when dealing with people because I have had to deal with people my whole career and well, I hate them. So I am pleasant and patient and kind - you know all the things I am not generally in my personal life.....ask my husband....tee hee

My husband and I wanted this 14' x 50' area outside the lower level (daylight basement) area of our lake home to be rid of all the grass. We dug it up....."we" meaning my big strong strapping hubby dug it up. It became way too much for him. Our idea was to make this a fire pit area.
An area to put our colorful adirondak chairs and the fire pit. The deeper he dug the more he realized he was taking on more than he could do alone. I was useless because he wouldn't let me dig. I had a few back surgeries and sometime he treats me like a piece of china....but I digress.

Then the old man next door came over with his back hoe and finished digging down far enough and got it all out. So we had a big ole mud pit. He then put on that black landscaping paper to prevent weeds etc. We went to the stone "store" and picked out the crush and run and the other stuff for the top. When we got there I swear to you that Larry, Darryl and Darryl (remember them from Newhart?) were the derelicts waiting on us. They informed us that the 30 + tons that we were purchasing they would not deliver. Gee, ya think that might fit in our Toyota Highlander? Damn.

So we ask if they know anyone who would pick this up and deliver. The 3 looked at each other and nodding like they just read each others simple minds say, "yep"
Gee could you give us their name and number? Again, the 3 of them looked at one another and then nodded and said, "yep"

I began to laugh and had to put my head down because they didn't even move to get us this name and number they just said YEP and stood there and stared at us. My husband then asked if they could, "please write it down on a piece of paper and give it me right now if you wouldn't mind." THEN they did as they were told. I think there may have been inbreeding here. Honestly!

I love going to the lake house but I could NEVER live down there with all those damn hillbilly's. They are frustrating as well as funny as hell. Okay we call this guy to go pick this stuff up and deliver to us he says he will and gives us a date. Never happened. We call again....he says he will do it on this date.....NEVER showed up. Then he stops taking our calls. So there we are with a hole in the back yard and company coming. Oh goodie.

We then call a landscaper and bite the bullet because we know this is going to cost us money we don't have. The landscaper gives us a bid and we cringe but how the hell else are we going to get this done? Move forward a week now and he calls us to tell us that he just went over and checked the job and he doesn't think this is what we wanted. He asked that when we get there over the 4th to check it out and call him with our thoughts. OMG! Now remember we wanted something to put our chairs on and sit around the firepit and make some s'mores etc. THEY WERE FUCKING BOULDERS PEOPLE! NO SHIT - @#$#% BOULDERS. My dog wouldn't walk across this and I couldn't walk across this without twisting an ankle. We were livid. So here we go again.

I called them back and told Kent, lead Hillbilly Landscaper, that this was completely unacceptable. He explains what happened. I said, "It's done now so let's move on. How soon can it be fixed because we have a month of guests." "Well I imagine in a week or two, maybe 3." I do not blow my top but inside I am seething.
I ask that if you can't do this soon I think it is fair to ask for a discount for this inconvenience. There was silence. I have learned that the one who talks first loses so I am saying nothing, nada. I imagine he is looking at 2 other local yocals and they are all nodding and will say, "of course" But nothing but silence for a very long time. Kent then says, "I can try to consider it."

TRY? I said, "Kent, this was to be done a month ago and the you promised me that we would love it and have it for the 4th. We let that slide without every complaining. We have been patient. Now you tell me because you did not see what your men loaded on the truck they made a mistake. This mistake is inconvenient for me and causing me grief. I have people coming with children. I do not want them to get hurt. It's hard to walk around this when you have to go over it to head to the lake. And now you're asking me to wait for another 3 weeks or more. I don't think asking for some type of compensation for this is out of line."

Kent repeats."I can consider it."

"No, I'm sorry I don't think that is good enough Kent. How would it fly if when you asked for the deposit I told you I'd consider it? Or better yet how would it fly if on the day of final payment I told you I would have to consider it?"

He laughed and said, "What if I get it done by end of next week?"

" I can live with that Kent. Thank you very much!"

He called me this morning to let me know that they are putting 2 kinds of surface river rock on my porch so when we arrive Thursday night we can choose what one we prefer. Then we are to call them and by then he'll have an exact date.

Something tells me this is going to be an ongoing issue.
Stay tuned.