Work Ethic

Scott and I have been trying to coordinate some home repairs, a venture which has resulted in nothing but frustration. We have learned through experience that neither of us are particularly handy when it comes to home fixes. I do have a talent for clearing clogged drains, but other than that, our skills are limited to spackle, hanging pictures, checking the fuse box for a blown breaker, and changing light bulbs. I knew that patching our leaking roof and fully insulating our attic were both beyond our realistic abilities. 

Over the past week I have invested hours on the phone and internet trying to locate roofers to provide estimates. I have contacted in excess of 10 contractors, only to receive responses from 6. Each of those six scheduled a date and time to view the project and provide a quote. Each has systematically canceled their scheduled appointment, citing everything from car trouble to health problems and even traffic, promising to call me to reschedule when they have access to their calendar. None has contacted me again.

I don't know why my quote solicitations seem to be repelled, but the cancellations have not been limited to roofers. I have scheduled three separate quotes for insulating our attic. One just never showed up at the allotted time, one cancelled twice before finally making it to the property, and one was so condescending and rude that I wouldn't want him to insulate the pigeon house my neighbors just installed. 

Unfortunately, our customer service obstacles have not been limited to the home improvement industry. We have also been working towards refinancing our home. If I had a few dollars for each time I've been disconnected, been promised paperwork, or have left messages which have gone unanswered, our mortgage would certainly be paid in full!

For some reason, people just don't seem to want to work anymore. Between my unexpected obstacles trying to find competent contractors, dealing with banks, and the national government squabbling so much that it shut itself down, I am frustrated with the lack of work ethic I've been experiencing. I'm tired of contacting companies to try to give them my business and money. I shouldn't have to beg for the "free quote" they all promise on their websites. Unfortunately, my roof won't be patched simply because I'm frustrated, we still want the insulation, and refinancing would be beneficial. Good thing I have a speaker phone because it looks like I'm going to be on it a lot as I search for somebody willing to work.