Author Topic: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!  (Read 12836 times)

Offline Jake

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YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« on: February 20, 2009, 11:29:20 AM »
Why is it so hard to find really good help? Why is it that the majority of painters fall into one , all, or a combination of the following 3 catagories...

1. Stupid

2. Drug/alcohol problems

3. flakes

Wouldn't you think that in today's economy that people would be thankful for the work they get? As you know I put an ad on C-List last Saturday and had over 30 people call me within a couple of hours.

Well, I took my old painter back even after he cost me a job last Saturday (hence the ad I posted because he didn't show up)...

And now today, he was supposed to meet me here at my house at 6:30 this morning to meet with the GC and start a commercial job downtown. I talked to him yesterday af/noon and he assured me he wouldn't sleep in and that he'd be here to pick me up (because I just got a new work van a couple days ago, but I haven't registered it yet)

Well, it's 8:30 and still no answer when I call him and no call back to me.

I am pissed!!!!!!!! This is the SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN A WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is FIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess me paying him a flat rate if $150.00 a day wasn't enough.

There are literaly HUNDREDS of people in line to WORK RIGHT NOW and he thinks he can sleep in and blow me off????????????

I don't think so.

I swear the only guy I've ever worked with who totaly had it together in every catagory was Matt G. Great painter, great guy, great all around.

If I was working for somebody else in this economy right now... You can bet your shorts I'd be kicking ass and doing everything I could to keep my job. I sure as hell wouldn't be sleeping in and blowing the boss off.

*deep breath* Thanks for letting me vent. Luckily the GC is cool and I'm off to meet up with him now. 2 hours late. 
« Last Edit: February 20, 2009, 11:40:39 AM by Jake »
The only thing that separates Paint from Pain... Is a t.

Offline Jake

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Re: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2009, 02:52:04 PM »
Argggg,

Well after meeting with the GC this morning down at the paint store...

I walked.

Told him that we weren't the right guys for the job and that was that.

The guy wouldn't even give any deposit money, and as we were on the way to the paint store he was talking to his lawyer about some lawsuit against them.

I think I did the right thing by turning it down. The last thing I would have wanted is to have done the job (in the 3 days he was demanding that it be done) and then to have not gotten paid. I've known guys who have been screwed like that before. Luckily it's never happened to me, but with the way things are right now... And with a job that's right there staring you in the face... It's hard to turn anything down.

Wow, what a morning.

I should have just stayed in bed (like the guy I have to let go)

I wonder what other "good times" today is going to bring?  :-\
The only thing that separates Paint from Pain... Is a t.

Offline BrushJockey

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Re: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2009, 03:08:44 PM »
Maybe someone was looking out for you on both counts..

May the next one be rockin!
"It would be ludicrous to think I'm new to this, I know this, this is what I do"  ( Prince and Geo Clinton..)

Offline jackpauhl

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Re: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2009, 03:37:52 PM »
Wow Jake, yeah sounds like a good move. Kinda glad that rolled out the way it did for you. Everyone I know is asking for a third minimum upfront, some guys are doing half.

Offline Jake

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Re: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2009, 03:57:14 PM »
Hey thanks guys! I appreciate it!  :)

It's just been stressfull this morning. I mean Paul (guy who can't wake up on time) is a GREAT painter. I couldn't ask for better... I mean he's one of those guys who you wait for to come along. But by the same token, no matter how good they are, there comes a point where it's just not working. I can't depend on someone who can't even make it to the job...Let alone doesn't even bother to make up some lame excuse and not even call.

So after I couldn't get ahold of him this morning, I had to start making the calls to try to set it all up this weekend with other painters I know because this job's gonna take a crew, and are you available, and do you have a sprayer coz mine's broke, and then the GC kept running late, and then the lawyer call on the way, and he's not sure about the colors but the foreman on the job is, and the no deposit deal, and then telling him that I wasn't comfy doing the job and that they should look elsewhere, and...

MAN!... All I wanted to do was just paint some walls!  ;D

Oh well...... NEXT!.............  :P

   
The only thing that separates Paint from Pain... Is a t.

Offline Jake

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Re: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2009, 04:02:36 PM »
PS... One other thing that set me off this morning is that I found out that a scumbag painter I know (whom I fired, but he says he walked), has been using MY account at the paint store to get himself discounts.  >:(

Well, evidently he had a row with some of the guys at one of the other Vista stores I don't usualy go to and it involved MY account!  >:(

It all got resolved (all the time I'm unaware it was even happening :o ) but still....

Unbelievable!  ::)
The only thing that separates Paint from Pain... Is a t.

Offline UUjohn

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Re: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2009, 04:13:51 PM »
damn !!! whatta day, Jake !!!

in spite of what many pros rightly consider to be the exception rather than rule, it seems an ad nowadays has to be strongly worded:

"must take the craft seriously; must have own tools and transportation; must have a professional appearance and attitude; must be able to interact with fellow painters and customers in a respectful and intelligent manner...
no druggies !!! no drunks !!!! no dregs !!! no excuses !!!"

but, not to wrongly place all the onus on painters, there are also issues w/ quick money hack GC's, including painting contractors, who seek out and exploit down on their luck tradesmen, especially those whose judgement is impaired... i've seen too many unscrupulous bosses in the building and remodeling business brutally control a tradesman b/c of an addiction or personal problem, almost to the point of paying them w/ their drug of choice to keep them addicted and easier to manipulate and exploit...

and then there is the occasional low baller customer who believes they have every right to damn near extort the trades by wanting work done at a much lower rate b/c "times are tough, take it or leave it" ... 


hmmmmm  ....  seems i got a tad mouthy....

anyway..........................................................
"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time" (Bertrand Russell)

Offline Lynjowoman

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Re: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2009, 04:55:38 PM »
Jake

Sorry you are having such a bad day. But you are better off without your bad helper & the questionable job. I have only been burned on a couple of jobs in 20+ yrs., but even 1 really hurts. Times are hard so some people out there are just looking to see who they can sc== over.

Better day tomorrow I hope.

Lynjo
"Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult."
Charlotte Whitton

Offline canadianpainter

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Re: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2009, 05:34:12 PM »
Wait...you were you two hours late for your meeting because he didn't show?  Why would you wait for him?

Also, I never understood why some painters require money upfront...if you do the job well, you'll get your money one way or another.  I think that not asking for money upfront builds trust.  In thirteen years, we've only sued one person and even then we recouped our legal fees and then some. 

That said, I know if I'm going to get f@$ked or not before going to bed. :D

Jared

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Re: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2009, 05:57:31 PM »
I require money up front because I am not a bank.

Service providers who stick their neck out will all eventually get their head cut off.  Simple reality of doing business today.  And note that in all the years I was a painter, I never once had a client that expected me to pay for their materials out of my own pocket.  Not once.



Offline chrisn

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Re: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2009, 06:57:20 PM »
I swear the only guy I've ever worked with who totaly had it together in every catagory was Matt G. Great painter, great guy, great all around.

What happened to him?

Offline Jake

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Re: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2009, 08:11:39 PM »
Canadian,

Reread my first post dude! I just bought a new (to me) van 2 days ago, but haven't insured or registered it yet.

Also, pretty much EVERYONE I know gets deposit money upfront. There is no way I'm going to go and buy any materials out of my own pocket. You're a commercial guy... Residential repaints are an entirely different ball game and to not get money up front is just asking to be screwed over.... IE, "You already bought the paint?... My wife decided she wants a different color"... or "We changed our minds and decided that we don't want to have this part of the house done yet"... ECT.

There is already trust upfront, as we're going into their houses, into their private rooms and lives... They don't know me or my guys from Adam. Not asking for front money would be just plain foolish and it has absolutely nothing to do with building trust.

Trust me, I know.  ;)

Chris,

As far as Matt goes... I dunno? I last talked to him right before Christmas, and then lost touch. He may have made the move to Seattle for all I know. In our last communication, he appeared to be going through some sort of "spiritual cleansing" as he called it, so maybe he joined a monastery and became a monk? I just don't know?  ;D

Anyway, thanks everybody!

Again, I appreciate it  :)
The only thing that separates Paint from Pain... Is a t.

Offline canadianpainter

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Re: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2009, 10:42:01 PM »
I require money up front because I am not a bank.

You say that like it's a good thing...banks make tons of money.  Act like a bank and loan them a paint job at 1% APR today!!! lol

Service providers who stick their neck out will all eventually get their head cut off.  Simple reality of doing business today.  And note that in all the years I was a painter, I never once had a client that expected me to pay for their materials out of my own pocket.  Not once.

You're not sticking your neck out.  At most you're sticking your pinky finger out. No risk, no reward.

Offline canadianpainter

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Re: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #13 on: February 20, 2009, 10:59:55 PM »

Also, pretty much EVERYONE I know gets deposit money upfront.

I've never really done what "everyone" else does.

Vin

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Re: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!
« Reply #14 on: February 21, 2009, 10:34:52 AM »
Jake I am going to go and paint some bath ceilings this morning that one of my helpers painted, AFTER I told him walls only, from now on he will get a work order explicitly detailing what I want done, this is the second time in the last 2 jobs he's set me back, last time he put the wrong paint in a room and another helper i had painted the room the wrong color, 4 hours lost there. My problem is giving him ANY responsibility at all for important details, I can't trust him to get it right, its a job just making sure the work gets done properly and I NEVER know until the morning of the job whether he will show up he's stood me up twice in the past.


I do contract work by the book 10% up front or $1,000 which ever is less and that is the law here in California, nothing else matters even if your start up materials cost twice that the law dictates those regulations so I do take a small risk at times by not accepting more money and I am offered it all the time it could be a setup for all i know by the board they have sting operations all the time setting guys up for a fall.

"must take the craft seriously; must have own tools and transportation; must have a professional appearance and attitude; must be able to interact with fellow painters and customers in a respectful and intelligent manner...
no druggies !!! no drunks !!!! no dregs !!! no excuses !!!"



UUjohn said it well when you run an add run it just like that and that will weed out your interested help.

 

anything