Reliability
I am supposed to be getting my carpet cleaned this morning. I rang a newly-established company last week after seeing recommendations on Facebook. The woman was out, but I was assured she would ring me back in about 10 minutes when she returned. It was quite a bit later than that when I received my call, but I did receive it nonetheless. She was busy the rest of last week and suggested Monday, which suited me fine. She sounded keen, reliable and efficient.
Yesterday Stephen and I started preparing, stacking a number of pieces of furniture out in the porch and vacuumed the whole house so that we wouldn’t have too much to do this morning, other than removing last minute items and vacuuming where those had sat.
Last evening at 5.30, following a missed call, I received a text, asking me if Tuesday would be all right instead, as she couldn’t make Monday. I am busy tomorrow with writing recitals so I suggested Wednesday morning. The weather forecast had been bad for Tuesday anyway so I wouldn’t have wanted to clean it in those conditions. She counteracted with Wednesday at 1pm, then continued the text telling me how reliable she is – not was, but is. Apparently, her car got a flat tyre and the spare also had a flat, so she is ‘out of town’. It seems mighty convenient that all this happened on a Sunday. Where are her friends who could have possibly helped her out?
I was disappointed that we had done all the preparation on our side. Doing things like lifting furniture is not so easy for Stephen and me these days. As it has turned out, the rain came earlier than expected so today is pretty shitty and I am pleased that I aren’t getting the carpet cleaned after all, but all that furniture had to be carried back inside to stop it getting wet. It has created double the amount of work for us.
I actually really do like the sound of this woman and I am sure she will do a wonderful job and she was most likely genuine in her plight and I am also grateful that she did notify me and not just not turn up.
Finding reliable tradespeople seems to be getting harder these days. Generally, a disruption doesn’t matter so much. It was just that we had put so much effort into moving everything, only to have to shift it all back again, that irked me.
In our day, reliability was key. If something went wrong, we found a way to make it right. It reminded me of the shearing days when often the rogue shearer or presser wouldn’t be at their designated pick-up area, often hungover after a party somewhere. We either drove around until we found them, or organised someone to take their place, so that the gangs were always in their full complement. And that was often at three or four in the morning that we did this. I drove all the way to Auckland and straight back again once just so that I could do a massage. That was probably stupid on my behalf; I am sure my client would have understood, but I didn’t want to be unreliable and let her down. That is just the work ethic people my age held.
Anyway, like I said, the weather is terrible today, so it is a good thing I am not getting the carpet done afterall. Let’s hope Wednesday afternoon is better. And I am sure there is a lesson in all this for me too…tolerance and compassion maybe?