Quote:
Originally Posted by Jess
I've rethought my response. I was out of line. Carpentry has been great to me and I respect anyone who has made a living with their hands. I got in at a good time in the late eighties. It's just been tougher lately, as I find many folks are not willing to pay for the skills, expenses, costs, etc. that it costs me to run a responsible, honest business. Many people I encounter consider nothing but price…maybe they'll get lucky, maybe they'll get a great job, maybe the tradesman will come back to solve problems…or not. I rarely go in to fix other's mistakes anymore. Start with me, finish with me, refer me. That's what I expect and mostly get.
Craigslist has given too many guys with a pickup, a level in the gun rack, and a dog, a place to enter the marketplace. So many consumers are only interested in price. This ties into the "where have the repairmen gone" thread. I'm willing to pay for quality work (I loves me my mechanical watches) and I wish/hope others will do the same.
Sometimes it gets frustrating and I was having one of those days yesterday. Huge apologies to Randy.
Jess
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I did not direct that you. Sorry if you felt that way, but I think the OP need to hear this. I understand how you feel. Most painters are hispanics and I would not talk to them through your cell phone if they were in from of me. The higher end trades poeople are funny and its all about trust and coming through with your name behind the products. There are lots of Korean and Middle Easterners in the painting business here. They come up to my job sometimes asking for work and beating my painting pricing by xxx amount. Without thinking about it, the answer is no thank you. I love it when people shop pricing instead of ability. We need those guys to keep the pecking order alive. They burn the home owners, when they call us (they would have already heard of us or know us by referral), so that's more of a guarantee gig for honest businessmen like us. My painter, and electrician, are super busy all the time. they didn't feel the down turn in the economy in the past 5-6 years.