Ever think about it?

When it is hot…. like it is today for it is too hot to trot, what about that guy on the ladder fixing a roof? It was a good light show storm last night and maybe it found a way to find a crevice to leak into the house. You know you can’t fix it so you call someone with a ladder who will come over on the hottest day of the year (so far) climb that ladder in long pants on what must be a sweltering black asphalt platform to try and find and patch the damage through a waterfall on the face.

I’m just riding by slowly watching with pity of these folks who must be out in this heat. The kids going out into the parking lot to retrieve carts at the Tummy Temple, the tree murderers who at 8AM are already drenched or the construction (renovation) guys who want to do a good job, but in this heat the mind gets foggy. Sometimes that may be fatal to quality workmanship or be redone when it is cooler.

I have a few ‘handyman’ jobs that I don’t want to do, but think twice about calling someone else to endure this heat. Even crawling under the house to change the filter on the heater can wait.

We should be considerate to those who will and can do the projects we no longer attempt.

The same is true when the temperature drop. One should also consider holidays (though everyday is a holiday now). If the person answering your call for assistance would also like to be spending time with their family, attention to detail will be distracted.

A few years ago I called a ‘new’ contractor to replace an old broken down fence and replace it. What surprised me was the professionalism. First a guy from the power company showed up in my yard spraying a line for where the underground cable ran (at no charge). Second a clean truck showed up at the designated hour and two men examined the job and immediately set out to work. I rode off to the Tummy Temple and left them to their task.

Upon return the old fencing was gone and so was the truck. I thought that was it for the day for rain was coming, but they came back with post to plant in cement. At one corner there was a left over post of the neighbors chain link fence that was also buried deep. The two of them worked for an hour to dig it out of the ground to replace it with a new wooden post.

They left as the rain fell to let the cement set.

The next day they were back with braces and rails and boards and hardware. They double-checked which way the gates should open before beginning. Measure twice, cut once.

In a period of two days they had complete the task I requested and approved after inspection. The bill was given and immediately paid with a check. They seemed happy with a job well done as was I but before they drove off, I handed them a 6-pack.

It wasn’t an expensive tip but they seemed to appreciate a thank you gift.

Hope those out in this heat get the respect for their efforts.