It Takes A Man
I try so hard to be self-sufficient…but sometimes it just takes a man to get the job done!
So, we’ve had this air-conditioning problem of the cooling part just quitting. The first time it happened, I called the guy that installed it and left a message for him. He called me the following morning and said that he was too busy to get there but he would send an acquaintance of his to look at it. James arrived the same day and when he turned it on, it began to cool just fine. So he told me that it’s working and to let them know if it quits again.
Things worked just like they should have for about five days and the A/C quit working again on a Friday evening, just in time for the weekend. I called and left a message for the installer again and he called me back that same evening. It seems he is a firefighter and works a 24-hour shift every-so-often and this was his every-so-often. He said that he would try to get ahold of James again to see if he could come. James could not come since he was in an entirely different state for the weekend. So the installer gave me a number for a local guy that might be able to help me. And thus began a pattern of me calling and leaving messages, one for the local guy and several the installer for the next week or so. It was as if my messages were ending up in the same space that lost socks go.
I didn’t get too aggressive because we had figured out that by leaving the A/C off for a period of an hour or two, we could turn it back on and get cool air again. But I did want to be put in line for a repair. I’m an understanding kind of gal, and I knew that this is their busy time of year. But I wanted my turn!!
I finally called James myself. The only reason I had his number was that I copied it from Caller ID the one time that he had called me at work. James was very kind and said he’d be happy to come check things out but managed to schedule his visit during a time that the A/C was working. Evidently his diagnostic skills aren’t too great if it’s not currently malfunctioning. He told the renters upstairs to take their filters out and see if that would make a difference and call if they have any more problems. Sounded like a bad experiment to me, and a few days later, no A/C. I called James again and he said he’d come look at it but never showed up. Are all A/C personnel like that?
When I arrived home last weekend to find a message on my machine from the poor renters upstairs, who bear the brunt of this malfunction, stating that the A/C had shut down every day for the past week, I’d simply had it! I talked to Dad the next time I saw him and asked him if he could please go to bat for me on this one, as I was having no luck. He was righteously indignant at the treatment I’d received and was willing to go hunt the installer down and demand justice. I encouraged him to start with a phone call, as I was suspicious that a phone call from him was all it would take.
Dad called the installer the following morning, and once again, he was working his 24-hour shift. He said that he’d be happy to show up the very next day. While he didn’t exactly follow through on that promise, he did show up Wednesday morning. He called me at work to explain what troublesome part had been causing the problem and apologized for not taking care of it sooner. I hate apologies, both giving and receiving them, especially when they have long explanations. A simple “I’m sorry” would have done the job nicely and we could both have moved on with our lives, but it had a lengthy explanation attached. Do you think that I could stick to my guns and make him squirm? Nope, I was very understanding.
It just shouldn’t have required a call from a man to get some service. I would have thought that a damsel in distress would be reason enough to come calling but obviously it wasn’t. I guess that there are times in life when it simply takes a man.
So, we’ve had this air-conditioning problem of the cooling part just quitting. The first time it happened, I called the guy that installed it and left a message for him. He called me the following morning and said that he was too busy to get there but he would send an acquaintance of his to look at it. James arrived the same day and when he turned it on, it began to cool just fine. So he told me that it’s working and to let them know if it quits again.
Things worked just like they should have for about five days and the A/C quit working again on a Friday evening, just in time for the weekend. I called and left a message for the installer again and he called me back that same evening. It seems he is a firefighter and works a 24-hour shift every-so-often and this was his every-so-often. He said that he would try to get ahold of James again to see if he could come. James could not come since he was in an entirely different state for the weekend. So the installer gave me a number for a local guy that might be able to help me. And thus began a pattern of me calling and leaving messages, one for the local guy and several the installer for the next week or so. It was as if my messages were ending up in the same space that lost socks go.
I didn’t get too aggressive because we had figured out that by leaving the A/C off for a period of an hour or two, we could turn it back on and get cool air again. But I did want to be put in line for a repair. I’m an understanding kind of gal, and I knew that this is their busy time of year. But I wanted my turn!!
I finally called James myself. The only reason I had his number was that I copied it from Caller ID the one time that he had called me at work. James was very kind and said he’d be happy to come check things out but managed to schedule his visit during a time that the A/C was working. Evidently his diagnostic skills aren’t too great if it’s not currently malfunctioning. He told the renters upstairs to take their filters out and see if that would make a difference and call if they have any more problems. Sounded like a bad experiment to me, and a few days later, no A/C. I called James again and he said he’d come look at it but never showed up. Are all A/C personnel like that?
When I arrived home last weekend to find a message on my machine from the poor renters upstairs, who bear the brunt of this malfunction, stating that the A/C had shut down every day for the past week, I’d simply had it! I talked to Dad the next time I saw him and asked him if he could please go to bat for me on this one, as I was having no luck. He was righteously indignant at the treatment I’d received and was willing to go hunt the installer down and demand justice. I encouraged him to start with a phone call, as I was suspicious that a phone call from him was all it would take.
Dad called the installer the following morning, and once again, he was working his 24-hour shift. He said that he’d be happy to show up the very next day. While he didn’t exactly follow through on that promise, he did show up Wednesday morning. He called me at work to explain what troublesome part had been causing the problem and apologized for not taking care of it sooner. I hate apologies, both giving and receiving them, especially when they have long explanations. A simple “I’m sorry” would have done the job nicely and we could both have moved on with our lives, but it had a lengthy explanation attached. Do you think that I could stick to my guns and make him squirm? Nope, I was very understanding.
It just shouldn’t have required a call from a man to get some service. I would have thought that a damsel in distress would be reason enough to come calling but obviously it wasn’t. I guess that there are times in life when it simply takes a man.
posted by Sharon @ 7:35 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
I would have thought you had those squirming skills down pat with your bill collecting expertise.
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