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It's called a good work ethic, it doesn't exist anymore.
Show up on time, be sober, look presentable, be polite, and do your job. Why is that so difficult today.
While I do not think that "a good work ethic" has disappeared I believe that it has really gone down hill in recent decades.
Someone I know used to run a business with dozens of employees. He paid a fair wage and there were good benefits and good working conditions (as far as I could tell). I would constantly be shocked at how difficult he said that it was just to get all of the employees to show up on time and not be hung over, drunk or on drugs and do at least a minimum amount of work. Of course, some were great workers but far too many were not.
The wife and I can’t believe the lack of integrity and good business ethics of certain businesses nowadays. No shows, no return phone calls, juvenile e-mail etiquette, sloppy appearances, etc. We have stopped giving second chances when dealing with work on our house. We only accept professionalism and a promise and proof of good business ethics on first meetings from now on if we are paying them for a service.
The wife and I can’t believe the lack of integrity and good business ethics of certain businesses nowadays. No shows, no return phone calls, juvenile e-mail etiquette, sloppy appearances, etc. We have stopped giving second chances when dealing with work on our house. We only accept professionalism and a promise and proof of good business ethics on first meetings from now on if we are paying them for a service.
I agree. I try to rehire the folks that have been dependable, even if it means waiting for them to be available.
Just like I'll go out of my way to shop where I get treated like a valuable customer.
Flakelist and Flakecycle make me nuts.
My favorite is the lady who offered 50% of the asking price, and sent me her address so I could deliver. Um, no.
It's an epidemic; UPS was supposed to deliver a package yesterday, and only today got around to telling me they changed it.
On the other hand, our handyman often doesn't show, then we reschedule and he doesn't show...but he's very good and works cheap, so we keep trying until he shows up. Reminds me, gotta call him tomorrow.
I wonder if there is a name for this disorder, or if it's just a function of my age: I expect people to do what they tell me they're going to do. And if they don't and don't have a reasonable, understandable excuse, I just write them off. Perhaps I should be more flexible?
If I hire someone and they don't show up, or show up an hour late, I hire someone else. If, like today, I'm giving away furniture and someone tells me they'll pick it up at 5:00, I expect them to either show up at 5:00--or AT LEAST contact me and tell me they can't make it.
Am I being unreasonable?
You are not.
Returning calls or emails and showing up as scheduled is very little to ask when hiring someone. If they can’t do any of those, they aren’t hired.
We recently closed on our house we were selling in another state and I used Craigslist to get rid of things in the house. Oh, the material I got for stories!
My favorite was the woman calling for a sofa and chair, giving me a long sob story about her daughter who needed it. I politely listened and then told her what needed to happen. The 1 800 GOT JUNK guys were coming the next day and if it wasn’t picked up, it was going with them. The house needed to be empty when we left. She had to wait for her husband with his truck and they would be over.
I get a call, it’s foggy they don’t want to drive in it. I understood, it was bad out and I wouldn’t either. Stuff is not worth your life. I get more calls trying to work it out, finally it will be at 9 a.m. the next morning. 9 a.m. comes and goes, I get a text that she had to go into work for an hour, but is now on her way. I text back that the trash haulers are here, do not come, you will be in the way. I’m done, I block her number.
An hour and a half later, there’s a knock at the door. You guessed it, it was her, but it gets even better. She brought her 89 year old father to help her get the furniture in his truck. I was amazed he was still driving in his shape, let alone coming to help load furniture. I’ll shorten the rest. Instead of watching an old feeble man help this woman try to move a heavy recliner sofa, DH asked one of the junk guys if he could help. The woman never offered anything to the young kid helping my DH. We gave the kid an extra tip, he didn’t ask for it and was being a good guy. Here’s the best part: these were FREE items she was picking up.
We had called the charity groups for pick ups and none could be there until the end of the week, which was too late. We were under a time constraint, so that didn’t work. We had stuff that we didn’t want to see thrown away when we knew others could use it. We resorted to Craigslist and while most responders were nice and two were actually delightful, the rest were flakes. That woman was beyond being a flake; basic decency, let alone manners, were nowhere to be seen.
I wonder if there is a name for this disorder, or if it's just a function of my age: I expect people to do what they tell me they're going to do. And if they don't and don't have a reasonable, understandable excuse, I just write them off. Perhaps I should be more flexible?
If I hire someone and they don't show up, or show up an hour late, I hire someone else. If, like today, I'm giving away furniture and someone tells me they'll pick it up at 5:00, I expect them to either show up at 5:00--or AT LEAST contact me and tell me they can't make it.
Am I being unreasonable?
No. I am the same way. Do what you say you are going to do and if not call me or at least text. It's sad that I now get excited when people just do what they are supposed to, be courteous. And this newer excuse of being "fashionably late".
Quote:
Originally Posted by steiconi
Flakelist and Flakecycle make me nuts.
My favorite is the lady who offered 50% of the asking price, and sent me her address so I could deliver. Um, no.
I know. People are unbelievable. I've had many people low ball over the phone. Uh no...you need to see the item to make sure you really do want it. I'm not going to negotiate until you do in most cases. I was selling a gas fireplace one time. The woman asked for extra pictures, ok reasonable. After that she asked me if I could haul it to her 2 hours away and she "might" buy it
I don't think you're being unreasonable, but I make it a point to keep my expectations of others to a minimum, even if I'm paying them. It keeps life pretty low-stress for me. I grew up with friends from a lot of different cultures, including Filipino. That is not a culture that places any particular value on promptness.
I keep my plans and my schedule as fluid as possible. When other people disappoint, I tend to either have something else to occupy my time or an alternate plan for getting whatever it is done.
A lot of this is because I myself can be erratic with time. Due to my ADD and all its attendant symptoms, I can sometimes fall down weird mental rabbit holes. I"m usually super-early for whatever is going on, but when my OCD takes hold, I may end up checking and re-checking the locks, the stove, the pets' water supplies, etc. and be 30 minutes late going out the door. I always keep the person waiting for me posted, but man I feel stupid a lot of the time.
I guess knowing my own limitations and trouble areas, I tend to give others a lot of latitude.
Yes, in the ad on Craigslist I asked that they email with a phone number and I'll text them. And I added, yes the items are available; if they weren't, I would have removed the ad. But they still email me, no phone number, asking if the items are still available. It's maddening. Or worse, they say they will pick up the items at a specific time, and pull a no show/no call. One lady even requested photographs, which I thought was cheeky. It's free!!
I removed the ad; after three people inconvenienced me, I'll just pay someone to haul it off. I was hoping to help someone out, but it's too scary and frustrating.
People don't process language well.
On CL, the emails asking "Is this still available" are 99.95% email harvesting and may safely be ignored, unless you are using a throw-away email address. If I post something on CL, I put right in the ad, "I will not answer 'Is this still available?' messages."
Either that, or they want to send you a fake bank check, that old scam. I have had that happen on items as low as $20.
I have encountered the "will you deliver?" flakes on Freecycle (answer- NO!) and the no shows. Many years ago when we had a house to rent, in an area with very few houses for rent, we would put an ad in the paper (OMG, that WAS a long time ago!) and start getting the calls. "I will rent it, don't rent it to anyone else, I'm coming right over." And then, of course, no show. And no call.
Now when I am selling or giving something away on the local list serv, I put in the ad, "Please arrange for prompt pickup."
Now when I am selling or giving something away on the local list serv, I put in the ad, "Please arrange for prompt pickup."
That's assuming they read the whole ad. Many times I will get questions when all of the answers are in the ad, and that is from "real" people.
I also want people to call. For ads texting is a waste of time. You will need to talk with me anyway so pick up the darned phone. BTW, what is the reason for the "text" scams? I haven't figured that one out.
That's assuming they read the whole ad. Many times I will get questions when all of the answers are in the ad, and that is from "real" people.
I also want people to call. For ads texting is a waste of time. You will need to talk with me anyway so pick up the darned phone. BTW, what is the reason for the "text" scams? I haven't figured that one out.
A lot of people are so impoverished, their phones are off but they can still text.
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And this newer excuse of being "fashionably late".
