I will try to make this as short as possible but this may still be a fairly long read, so consider this a warning.
Backstory:
Over 3 1/2 months ago I met up with a general contractor at a restaurant to drop off a $410 set of home plans so I could get a quote. I was told I would have my quote within one week, no problems. I also own two businesses, one construction business and one sales business. This will become semi relevant later.
The issue:
We will call this guy Sam.
I call Sam twice, once to set up a meeting, and once the day of the meeting to designate a location. Sam is going to review my blueprints and give me an estimate for what it would cost to build a home. These were the original set of blueprints mind you.
I meet with Sam and everything goes just fine. We talk (this is a Monday) and he says that he will have my quote and plans back to me in approximately a week.
We both leave and a week passes.
Nothing.
No big deal, I wait a whole other week.
Nothing.
I call Sam and leave him a message after the 2nd week, politely asking how everything is coming along.
Nothing.
About a week later I call Sam again. You guessed it, nothing.
I call again at the end of the 4th week, getting a little bit impatient, but still polite and civil and leave another message asking if I can just pick up my plans so I get them to someone else.
You seeing a pattern here?
For a whole other month, I call two times a week, leaving civil messages on this guys phone and never get a call back.
Finally, about 9 weeks later I have had it. I need these plans now because it has already held up everything I wanted to do and I am out of excuses for this guy.
I leave him 1 more message saying he really needs to call me back or I will have to call the Sheriff's Department.
He never called, so I called the Sheriff's Department and gave them his number. I told them I did not want charges filed or any problems, but just asked if they could get a hold of him and kind of show him I was serious about getting my property back at this point so I can move on with this whole ordeal.
Magically, absolutely magically not even 10 minutes after the Sheriff called him he calls me back. He was very apologetic and polite. He told me an employee of his had my plans but left the state and they are gone. He said I should get him a price of the plans and he will make it good with me.
The next day I got a price of the plans and attempted to call him.
Nothing.
No big deal, I wait 3 days and call back. Nothing.
Wait a few more days, call back with more messages. Nuttin'.
So I call him at the beginning of the week of the 4th (Monday) and tell him I have the price, it's been a week again, and he is supposed to call me whenever he can as long as it's by the weeks end.
Nothing.
I try calling him Sunday night, and left him a message saying that it's been two weeks again, and I see a pattern here just like before. I told him how I found it hard to believe for 2 straight weeks a business owner has not been anywhere near his phone or had even 3 minutes of free time to at least fill me in so I know what's going on.
He never responded to that either.
Today I finally had it, called him in the morning and told him I want a call back to settle this or I will call the BBB or AG's office because I sick of being ignored when I know damn well he is by his phone and can't even text me back to let me know what's going on.
Magically again, after giving him this ultimatum, he calls back tonight.
Of course he was at zero fault.
He called me a bully for "threatening" him and said the way I do business because I called the Sheriff's Department on him is horrible.
I told him I conduct business the way it's supposed to be done. When people call, I answer or get back to them at the absolute, way latest, within 24 hours. Every. Single. Time.
He wanted to get into a pissing match about how to properly do business and we argued about how you treat customers/peoples property. I explained to him this could all have been avoided had just one time within 3 1/2 months he sent me an email, text, phone call, etc... to even give me the slightest idea of what to expect.
He didn't have much to say then, but kept bitching about how I threatened him (by calling those departments, I was always mild mannered) and that is somehow my fault for not giving him time.
I told him when a guy tells me it will be 1 week and it has 14, I start to doubt his sincerity.
So long story short, and this remains to be solved, he said he will either send me a check or try to magically find my set of blueprints I need.
What got me the most upset, and most mad was him reiterating I don't know how to conduct business and then saying something along the lines of "I will make sure people know how you operate".
This really upsets me because I have done no wrong here (in my own mind) and also because I do deeply, deeply care about my business reputation and I personally return or answer immediately every phone call or message I get. I always place the customer on a pedestal and when I tell them I will do something, I do it.
We both obviously have different ways of running our businesses, and I didn't want to get into a **** measuring contest with him (I do work in 4 states and 2 countries, he works around 1 county) because it's not the way I am and because it would not help anything.
But I can't help and feel a little cheated, a little taken advantage of, and a little upset to be basically called a fool.
So what do you guys think?
Would there have been a better way to handle this or was I right after that long to start pursuing other options retrieve my property?
Spoiler
Backstory:
Over 3 1/2 months ago I met up with a general contractor at a restaurant to drop off a $410 set of home plans so I could get a quote. I was told I would have my quote within one week, no problems. I also own two businesses, one construction business and one sales business. This will become semi relevant later.
The issue:
We will call this guy Sam.
I call Sam twice, once to set up a meeting, and once the day of the meeting to designate a location. Sam is going to review my blueprints and give me an estimate for what it would cost to build a home. These were the original set of blueprints mind you.
I meet with Sam and everything goes just fine. We talk (this is a Monday) and he says that he will have my quote and plans back to me in approximately a week.
We both leave and a week passes.
Nothing.
No big deal, I wait a whole other week.
Nothing.
I call Sam and leave him a message after the 2nd week, politely asking how everything is coming along.
Nothing.
About a week later I call Sam again. You guessed it, nothing.
I call again at the end of the 4th week, getting a little bit impatient, but still polite and civil and leave another message asking if I can just pick up my plans so I get them to someone else.
You seeing a pattern here?
For a whole other month, I call two times a week, leaving civil messages on this guys phone and never get a call back.
Finally, about 9 weeks later I have had it. I need these plans now because it has already held up everything I wanted to do and I am out of excuses for this guy.
I leave him 1 more message saying he really needs to call me back or I will have to call the Sheriff's Department.
He never called, so I called the Sheriff's Department and gave them his number. I told them I did not want charges filed or any problems, but just asked if they could get a hold of him and kind of show him I was serious about getting my property back at this point so I can move on with this whole ordeal.
Magically, absolutely magically not even 10 minutes after the Sheriff called him he calls me back. He was very apologetic and polite. He told me an employee of his had my plans but left the state and they are gone. He said I should get him a price of the plans and he will make it good with me.
The next day I got a price of the plans and attempted to call him.
Nothing.
No big deal, I wait 3 days and call back. Nothing.
Wait a few more days, call back with more messages. Nuttin'.
So I call him at the beginning of the week of the 4th (Monday) and tell him I have the price, it's been a week again, and he is supposed to call me whenever he can as long as it's by the weeks end.
Nothing.
I try calling him Sunday night, and left him a message saying that it's been two weeks again, and I see a pattern here just like before. I told him how I found it hard to believe for 2 straight weeks a business owner has not been anywhere near his phone or had even 3 minutes of free time to at least fill me in so I know what's going on.
He never responded to that either.
Today I finally had it, called him in the morning and told him I want a call back to settle this or I will call the BBB or AG's office because I sick of being ignored when I know damn well he is by his phone and can't even text me back to let me know what's going on.
Magically again, after giving him this ultimatum, he calls back tonight.
Of course he was at zero fault.
He called me a bully for "threatening" him and said the way I do business because I called the Sheriff's Department on him is horrible.
I told him I conduct business the way it's supposed to be done. When people call, I answer or get back to them at the absolute, way latest, within 24 hours. Every. Single. Time.
He wanted to get into a pissing match about how to properly do business and we argued about how you treat customers/peoples property. I explained to him this could all have been avoided had just one time within 3 1/2 months he sent me an email, text, phone call, etc... to even give me the slightest idea of what to expect.
He didn't have much to say then, but kept bitching about how I threatened him (by calling those departments, I was always mild mannered) and that is somehow my fault for not giving him time.
I told him when a guy tells me it will be 1 week and it has 14, I start to doubt his sincerity.
So long story short, and this remains to be solved, he said he will either send me a check or try to magically find my set of blueprints I need.
What got me the most upset, and most mad was him reiterating I don't know how to conduct business and then saying something along the lines of "I will make sure people know how you operate".
This really upsets me because I have done no wrong here (in my own mind) and also because I do deeply, deeply care about my business reputation and I personally return or answer immediately every phone call or message I get. I always place the customer on a pedestal and when I tell them I will do something, I do it.
We both obviously have different ways of running our businesses, and I didn't want to get into a **** measuring contest with him (I do work in 4 states and 2 countries, he works around 1 county) because it's not the way I am and because it would not help anything.
But I can't help and feel a little cheated, a little taken advantage of, and a little upset to be basically called a fool.
So what do you guys think?
Would there have been a better way to handle this or was I right after that long to start pursuing other options retrieve my property?
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