I requested an estimate to repair/replace the floor of my screened-in porch…read more
I was in session with a client; so, my sister met with James & his counterpart. She felt James was not very professional at all. He didn't really ask about what we were trying to do or why. Just took a quick look, without inspecting the flooring, beams, or anything, and said he could fix it with about 12 pieces of plywood. He didn't explain his process, timeline, or anything. He didn't ask about, or offer, any other options we might've wanted to consider for flooring. On the way out, my sister said he mentioned that he could've cut our tree down for us (we had arborists in a huge tree taking it down), he could pressure wash, and do just about anything else.
RED FLAG #1: TRUST YOUR GUT. We have the same nerve cells in our bellies as we have in our brain. If your gut is screaming about someone you've only just met, that's a problem.
RED FLAG #2: For a basic handyman, being skilled at different things is great. If you're looking for an EXPERT, however, for a specific task/project, DO NOT ever go with a jack-of-all-trades-but-a-master-of-none!!!! Get someone who has invested time & discipline in their craft! It makes a world of difference in the quality of work.
Overall, my sister reported that she felt very uncomfortable with both James and his counterpart.
A couple of hours after he left, I get a text from this guy. But he met with my SISTER, remember. The text read (copied & pasted verbatim):
"yes material to replace all the boards it an screws is 700 an labors would be 1200 including taking old wood off an put down new wood if the ain't anything underneither is rotten"
No explanation of what kind of wood, how much wood, pressure treated or not, etc. And PLEASE help me understand $1200 for a little 12x30 deck subfloor!
RED FLAG #3: Shouldn't he have LOOKED to see if the base wood was solid or needed replacing along with the top flooring - so he would know if "anything underneither is rotten"?!?!
Then, this man, whom I've never seen, or met, has the nerve to text me (copied & pasted verbatim):
#1 "ok when would u want it done mama"
#2 "an pressurewashingwe can also do that too"
#3 "ur driveway an sidewalk an house"
WTH?!?! Sir, you don't know me like that!!! I am NOT your "mama", "baby," "sweetie," "darling," or otherwise!! I WAS a POTENTIAL CUSTOMER (that you just lost) by being way too comfortable with being disrespectful OR too careless to read your text message for spelling errors before sending. My friends call me Michael, my clients call me Dr. G; you, Sir, may address me as Ma'am or Dr. Godfrey! I was so offended, I simply did not answer. Done. You think? Not yet!
The next day, Wednesday, I get a text at 9:57PM that read (copied & pasted verbatim):
"Yes r u interested in us doin ur project"
I responded Thursday morning, at 9:57AM saying simply, "No, thank you."
To which I get the following text response (copied & pasted verbatim):
"ok what r u needing done ever u want t the flooring replaced or just repair an patch an cault the joint an re painted"
I'm sorry; what part of "no, thank you" did you not understand? I was so pissed that I just blocked the guy at that point. I cannot even make this stuff up!!
And I cannot say anything about this guy personally nor can I comment on his work. He could very well be a great guy who does great work; but first impressions matter when you are asking someone to spend thousands of dollars.
