I am putting up a 20 x 16 deck & siding a house. Subbed out the siding, when I told the siding mechanic (a friend) his work did not measure up. He said “I did it the way I always do.)
1) seams were run … starting at the driveway so seams hit u in the face as u walk down the walk.
2) pencil marks all over everywhere
3) cut his siding TIGHT to corners & windows, nailed TIGHT
When I pointed out it all to him, he said, “Well, I guess I will just take all my toys & go home.”
I feel bad in a way…he has a handicapped (autistic) child, & is the sole bacon bringer. But, my name was going on the house.
(He also does “excellent” trim work w/ his 20 oz. framing hammer. Maybe I should have listened?)
Replies
Hi Jim,
Hey don't feel bad about his sub-standard work, Your name and reputation are on the line here. If you didn't react the way you did, HIS work would have been the reason why you wouldn't potentially get more work or more referrals. By doing what you did, you saved yourself some grief down the road.
If he can't take some constructive criticism and won't accept a suggestion concerning his quality of craftsmanship then he isn't of your caliber of people. He is willing to walk off the job because he wont go the extra effort to make it look good, I say he is bad business.There can't be much good that comes out of this relationship if this person doesn't care about his quality on YOUR jobsite. Be glad that he isn't there anymore to bring you down further.
Another reason NOT to use friends involving business, it so rarely works out! Believe me I've learned the hard way. If you didn't like the way he did siding work, I doubt you'll be pleased with anything else and you could repeat this last exchange with him. Anyway, You got my 2 cents worth......Good Luck!...................Jules
thanks I knew i did the right thing, just not fun.
To Jim
Don't feel bad about letting him go. If the siding is vinyl, it needs room to move for expansion and contraction. (which i'm sure you already know). If the pieces are nailed tight you will have a mess on your hands. Same goes for cut pieces.
PatRen.
(formerly jack of all trades)
jim, you did the right thing to let him go, his personal business has no bearing on your desicion. who is going to be there for the callbacks and you know already there will be some. your sub also needs to learn his trade properly and also to accept advice and make corrections.
in short im with you
steve
I sure hope you got him to sign a lien release before he left. I fired a guy doing siding for essentially the same thing as well as not showing up on a regular basis. He beat a fast path to the county clerks office and filed a lien on the property without any notification to me. Come time to close, the title company cuts him a check for more than I had agreed to pay (w/o ) prior notice and said that was between him and me. I filed suit against the title co. and they folded. Long story, short lesson: CYA!
Edited 3/27/2003 4:56:08 PM ET by Bill
Thanks, was a handshake agreement.