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Kathy from San Bernardino on treating contractors as professionals

I was listening to the show today, and I just have to reply to Matt's comments about treating contractors as professionals with professional hours (i.e., M-F, 8-5), just like a physician or lawyer.

As a single homeowner, I've been guilty of asking for "off hours" visits, and I will think twice about that in the future. I know I don't like to be asked to do my own work after hours, either, so fair is fair.

HOWEVER - I just have to point out the differences that I've seen between most contractors or tradespeople, and physicians and lawyers:

1. Most physicians or lawyers won't have you make an "appointment" for "between 8 and 11" or "between 1 and 4".

2. If you make an appointment with a physician or a lawyer, chances are you will get to see them somewhere close to the actual appointment time. Barring something very unforeseen, you will certainly get to see them that same day.

3. Many physicians (I don't know about lawyers) DO have extended hours. For example, my dentist makes appointments beginning at 7 a.m. My medical group has same day appointments up to 8 p.m.

Contrast that to my experience with many licensed tradespeople:
It's virtually impossible to get anything more specific than a 3-hour window;
There's no guarantee that the person will actually show up during that 3-hour window, or even on the same day. I've had many experiences of waiting until close to the end of the 3-hour window, and then calling to inquire (nicely, I promise), and being told that they had something else come up, or they got a late start, and maybe they'll be there in about 3 hours. Or maybe not. I've also had the experience of them not showing up at all.

As you can see, you've touched a hot button!! I know I'm not unique in this, most of my friends, acquaintances, and family have had the same experience, several times over. In fact, I know one person who did a major whole-house renovation, who was not working (& so was able to be home M-F), who had the exact same experiences I have had.

So, as I said before, fair is fair. I think most people would be much more willing to take time off work to see a contractor or tradesperson, if they felt reasonably confident that the contractor or tradesperson would actually be there when they said they would, within some reasonable block of time.

Well, thanks for listening to my rant! I do enjoy the show, and I think you've hit a winning format. There are at LEAST as many home-ownership questions, dilemmas, stories, as there are car stories. Thanks for the show.

Katy
San Bernardino

 

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I am avid listener of KVCR [we used to be on KVCR] radio and have your station on almost the entire weekend. I really enjoy listening to most of the shows with one exception. Construction Zone Radio has to be one of the worst radio shows I have ever heard. The two guys are condecending [sic] to some callers and I do not find them informative or funny most of the time. I end up shutting my radio off at 11 on Saturdays because they're that hard to take. I thought you may want to know my opinion...