P
Pebbs
Here is my all to common rant of the week before I go on my holiday tomorrow.
I am a woman, its the long hair, and chesty morgans that are a dead give away, teamed with my love of all things pink. However whilst in some situations this may be an advantage, in this game it is proving not to be...this week at least. Three times this week, I have been told the following....
First some woman rang up, wanting a quote for some repair works to a portland stone staircase. Normally we dont do private work, because I hate muggles, but the job was next door to a contract we had been working on so I thought ok, its killing two birds with one stone.
So of I trotted....first of all she said she wanted her 'stone staircase' cleaned which lead to the lower ground floor. How could I break it to her? that it wasn't stone it was in actual fact concrete...well I told her straight out it was concrete. Are you sure? she said...yes Im 100% sure I replied....do you want to speak to one of your men she said....umm no I don't. Then she came out with a classic line....well my stone man has told me its stone....ohh you already have a 'stone man' well perhaps he can come and clean your 'stone staircase'. Then she informed me that it would only take a couple of hours to do the front of house staircase....there were more dents and chips in it than the berlin wall before they removed it. There was in fact approx 4 days worth of work, just for the making good. Perhaps her 'stone man' had told her that to.
Next job I went to look at was from a new client, in Euston, terrazzo repairs...the first thing he said was its only a days work.........The cracks were something resembling the grand canyon, the substrate had shifted and had taken the terrazzo into the abyss. I couldn't help myself, say why do you believe its only a days work? He replied in my experience I know its only a days work....so that was it I snapped....well if you think that perhaps you should do the work yourself, I'll tell you where to get the chippings and the ratios and sizes, and then you can have a go. To which he replied perhaps you should have a word with your boss and get 'him' to ring me. I said why dont you ring him yourself? heres the number.
10 mins after I left site my mobile went....it was know it all....he was spluttering when I answered, you gave me the wrong number he said I want to speak to your boss, I am the boss I replied and put the phone down.
And today, I got a lecture from a certain salesperson from a quarry on how yorkstone should be laid....telling me in case I didnt know....the stone is then put on top of the sand and cement and they get rubber mallets and bang it down into place.....Well fancy that....I learn something new every day. Perhaps you should come down and show us how its done...I suggested, well it could be arranged he responded...does your company do much stone work he asked? Not really I responded, we sit around on site all day, drinking tea and texting... 'Whats your company name again? he asked, so I told him....it kind of went quiet at that point....I almost saw tumbleweed...roll down the road whilst waiting for a response...and then I heard it....in a quiet whisper.... 'Sorry' I didn't realise who I was speaking to...its ok....you havent offended me I said....I just wont be specifying any Yorkstone on any further contracts.
I love my job, now Im off to paint my nails pink...nails that you hit with a hard hammer.
Lynn
I am a woman, its the long hair, and chesty morgans that are a dead give away, teamed with my love of all things pink. However whilst in some situations this may be an advantage, in this game it is proving not to be...this week at least. Three times this week, I have been told the following....
First some woman rang up, wanting a quote for some repair works to a portland stone staircase. Normally we dont do private work, because I hate muggles, but the job was next door to a contract we had been working on so I thought ok, its killing two birds with one stone.
So of I trotted....first of all she said she wanted her 'stone staircase' cleaned which lead to the lower ground floor. How could I break it to her? that it wasn't stone it was in actual fact concrete...well I told her straight out it was concrete. Are you sure? she said...yes Im 100% sure I replied....do you want to speak to one of your men she said....umm no I don't. Then she came out with a classic line....well my stone man has told me its stone....ohh you already have a 'stone man' well perhaps he can come and clean your 'stone staircase'. Then she informed me that it would only take a couple of hours to do the front of house staircase....there were more dents and chips in it than the berlin wall before they removed it. There was in fact approx 4 days worth of work, just for the making good. Perhaps her 'stone man' had told her that to.
Next job I went to look at was from a new client, in Euston, terrazzo repairs...the first thing he said was its only a days work.........The cracks were something resembling the grand canyon, the substrate had shifted and had taken the terrazzo into the abyss. I couldn't help myself, say why do you believe its only a days work? He replied in my experience I know its only a days work....so that was it I snapped....well if you think that perhaps you should do the work yourself, I'll tell you where to get the chippings and the ratios and sizes, and then you can have a go. To which he replied perhaps you should have a word with your boss and get 'him' to ring me. I said why dont you ring him yourself? heres the number.
10 mins after I left site my mobile went....it was know it all....he was spluttering when I answered, you gave me the wrong number he said I want to speak to your boss, I am the boss I replied and put the phone down.
And today, I got a lecture from a certain salesperson from a quarry on how yorkstone should be laid....telling me in case I didnt know....the stone is then put on top of the sand and cement and they get rubber mallets and bang it down into place.....Well fancy that....I learn something new every day. Perhaps you should come down and show us how its done...I suggested, well it could be arranged he responded...does your company do much stone work he asked? Not really I responded, we sit around on site all day, drinking tea and texting... 'Whats your company name again? he asked, so I told him....it kind of went quiet at that point....I almost saw tumbleweed...roll down the road whilst waiting for a response...and then I heard it....in a quiet whisper.... 'Sorry' I didn't realise who I was speaking to...its ok....you havent offended me I said....I just wont be specifying any Yorkstone on any further contracts.
I love my job, now Im off to paint my nails pink...nails that you hit with a hard hammer.
Lynn
