Jim and the Dori's

[ve9aa]

The stupid was strong with the first 2 you interviewed ! ;-)

I am not an employer, but senior tech and supervisor where I work (a hospital) and have to deal with several employees like your extended family.  It's almost impossible to get rid of people where I work.  You'd have to steal a car or murder someone basically.

It's extremely aggravating.

[MiniDave]

For a short while I worked at a light duty Generous Motors plant, everyone there was at least 20 years of seniority....One day a guy was unloading transmissions out of a rail car with a forktruck and dropped one off the dock, his punishment? A week off work with full pay!

[Jims5543]

The stupid was strong with the first 2 you interviewed ! ;-)

I am not an employer, but senior tech and supervisor where I work (a hospital) and have to deal with several employees like your extended family.  It's almost impossible to get rid of people where I work.  You'd have to steal a car or murder someone basically.

It's extremely aggravating.

Preach it brother, if up to me Office Dori would have been long gone, I will get into that more some other time. After my Ireland debacle I decided to never take a week off again until she is gone. So if my wife wants a week away, she better let me clean the effing house.

My clients create another source of frustration.

I worked 18 straight hours, more or less Thursday.  M-W I worked from 6 am to 7 pm

Today (Friday) I left the office at 3PM, after arriving at 6 am to go with my wife to fetch my son from school, and head to Burger FI for dinner.

On Fridays he is in Science Lab after school and gets out at 4:30 PM.


At 6:30 my phone starts blowing up with call after call after call 3x in all.

I recognize the number it is the ditz at a title company that calls me hyperventilating because she forgot to order something.

Ironically when I switched to Tmobile I changed my outgoing message to the standard one, "You have called (insert name here) voicemail please leave a message after the beep."

Insert name here = "Senior Pueblo"  When I did it I was outside and it does not even sound like my voice.

No one leaves a message anymore thinking I changed my number. LMAO!!

So she was calling over and over and over... never leaving a message.

After 15 minutes she calls my wifes phone. WTF!! We were like how TF did she get my wifes number. Then I remembered she did a closing for us, she went and pulled the file and got my wifes cel phone number out of it. WTF!!!

She left a message on my wifes phone telling her that she needs to tell me to call as she has been trying to get in touch with me.

THEN the email comes in, she orders a survey after hours and need is it Monday.

WTF!! some more.

I waited until late this evening to reply then told her we would squeeze it in Monday.

All she needed to do was email the order, I have NEVER let her down, why she feels the need to harass me on a Friday night after I worked an 60 hour week is beyond me.

God forbid I have some down time.

Spastic fuckin idiots.

[94touring]

The senior Pablo thing should be noted you already remind me of Tuco from breaking bad.  A little less violent luckily. 

[jeff10049]

"Spastic fuckin idiots." :D :D 4.gif 77.gif

Love it
Yes yes they are I get it all the time the more times they call in a row the longer I put them off even block the number sometimes for a few days.
I'll get in Monday at 7:00 phone is ringing when I walk in 10 calls starting at 5:30 am from the same number and 3 voicemails.

we open at 8:00 am leaving a message is fine but it's like they just sit there for hours calling and redialing so I'll block the number so I can use the phone to get some work done to check and return all the calls and messages that came in before them book those appointments and then call them back.

I give no priority to them at all I will make sure they work on our schedule even if the day they want is open I will tell them it is not but we have another opening they can take it or leave it I don't care I don't need assholes like that for customers anyway.

The best was a guy with a blocked number that called and left a message on Saturday saying "I guess since no one can answer the phone I'll take my business elsewhere" He soon found out we were the only warranty dealer in central Oregon and called back a day later wanting an appointment.
I said I thought you were taking your business elsewhere? I recognized his voice and it still came up as a private caller. He said what do you mean I said well someone calling from this number that sounds just like you left a message yesterday saying that would go elsewhere because we were closed when you called and apparently leaving a message for an appointment or calling back was too hard for you so I suggest you do go elsewhere.
He said that can't be my number is blocked I said yup it is I was just testing you and you confirmed what I suspected have a nice day.

[Jims5543]

Nothing and I mean nothing chaps my ass more than someone who calls my office multiple times thinking if they call over and over they will get an answer. It is fucking rude.

If I am in there before or after hours, it is for a reason, it means I am not answering the phone because I am trying to get things done.

This woman calling me like that pissed me off and while I would love to tell her to F off, I know better.

She wil get her Survey by Monday afternoon..  why?  She alone is a 70K a year customer her and the girls in her office that use me make up almost 1/4 of of my yearly revenue.

I may not be on call 24/7 but I am not fool, I will take care of them. Competitors come in there weekly with cookies and bagels etc.. trying to lure them away from me.  I know I can be replaced.


As I mentioned we changed to cheap ass Tmobile which it is a step below ATT, my plan all along has been to get a Verizon phone with a new # and leave my current phone will be on do not disturb on evenings and weekends. Only family and friends will get the new number.

[jeff10049]

I can understand that,
most of my customers are one person so if I lose one not a big deal I try not to but won't put up with too much shit.

If they replace me because I won't answer the phone on a Sunday so be it at least they can't talk bad about me at least not in a way anyone would care about.
We do all we can during business hours to earn and retain customers but not all are worth it.
I do have a dealer that's a bit of a pain but I do always get him in as he did close to 100k last year.

But you know had one of those before and he up and moved I was so worried about not getting his business nothing really changed numbers wise we picked up other stuff and had fewer headaches and rush jobs so in the end, I don't know if the big clients matter either.

By matter I mean stressing about or giving into for after-hours service weekends etc. Give them the same good service as everybody and if that's not enough tough shit.
I don't mind someone asking or telling me they're in a bind and need help I will always see what I can do but if you expect it because you think you're big shit forget about it.

Just don't put all the eggs in one basket I guess.
I've kind of learned just do a good job and the rest works itself out.

[Jims5543]

Exactly, there has to be a reasonable limit as to how much you are on call.

Weekends to me are sacred. I work 6-6 M-F then again many evenings trying to keep everyone happy.

When 6 PM rolls around on Friday, fuck you I am off for 2 days.

From 2002 - 2006 I had this company on cruise control, I was off running around enjoying life.

From 2008 to now, I stopping working to live and started living to work and I hate that. It is a bullshit life to live.

If I am not going to have a life from M-F, you better bet I am having one on the weekend at the very least.


All that said, back in December and January I worked on weekends to do a large job for a good client, the bonus was the money I made from that really helped me out a lot . Januaries tend to be very slow for me, I always try to take on larger jobs in January that I normally turn away.


Jeff, you know the drill, as a small business owner there is a delicate dance you have to make in order to keep your clients happy.


If I ever hit the lottery ( I would need to play to do that I do not play) I am re-naming my company FU Land Surveying.  Need a survey fast? FU   You want a discount? FU.

Please god let me win.