Age and wisdom - yeah!

[primsong]

What a difference it makes, just calling around on something before you get it done. We have a laundry list of projects that had to wait until the house sold to be able to tackle finishing them, one big one being replacing a long section of fence that is barely standing up.

Call the first company - describe what is wanted. Young person blithely and rapidly calculates and tells me that job will run $3940, and tries to impress me with that including their installing it! (duh!) He warns it might run more if there are "complications."

Second company - Old guy asks for lots of detail, mutters and punches keys on a calculator, asks more questions, gives options, some that might save a small amount. Hrm...hoom... that'd be $2349...and twenty cents. Maybe less, he'll custom build the gate in his shop. He'll come back out four days later to check the tension too, of course. (of course!)

Love those old guys, God bless 'em - we always use the hardware store that has the old guys too. They know what they are doing.

Comments

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Quite a contrast, isn't it! Yea for the old guys - and those wise enough to call them! :)

Hello

[faramirgirl.livejournal.com]

Looks like one point for old guy and no points for young guy.

[kimbys-place.livejournal.com]

That is why, despite the monoliths like Home Depot and Lowe's, the "mom-and-pop' hardware store will survive. The Big Guys might have it all, but the little (old)guys know it all.

[accioboytoy.livejournal.com]

Sadly, the old guys are the ones being pushed out by the larger companies ( says the woman who loves Home Depot) but I find that these stores still have a large cadre of loyal customers and will as long as they keep their doors open. Isn't it great to call places where they just answer your question and don't try to employ ten other marketing techniques?

[lyria-theringer.livejournal.com]

glad you took the time to call around.

Glad you feel like you can get things done, now.

Good to see you. I haven't been around too much but still missing you all!

[curuchamion.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, indeed. That was my favorite part of remodeling - going to the hardware shop and getting into long discussions with the old guys there about how to do some particular job nobody makes parts for. And they didn't snub my mom and me for being girls, either!

(I miss my old neighborhood...)