EXPLANATIONS

This story is true and is shared at Tell Me a Story and at Laura's The Wellspring. 
My continued fictional story will be following soon! 

 

She Wanted a New Roof
courtesy photobucket.com

When one is dissatisfied with service or performance they want an explanation, or to know why?

Parents are noted for doing this when disappointed with a child's actions.

Actually this is something we apply to all areas of our lives. We want to know why, and at the same time not expecting an answer that will satisfy the disappointment we feel.

I was in the roofing business for thirty years and for ten years before that I worked for other roofing companies making a total of over forty years in roofing. During the time I was in business I lost less than a thousand dollars due to people not paying me.  I always collected payment after they were satisfied with the job.

During those years there were a couple of estimators who worked for me one of which would install the roofs he sold and that way he would get a commission for selling the roof, and also was paid for installing it.

There was one time he sold a roof and installed it and the person didn't pay. We sent more requests for payment but didn't hear from them.

Poor Woman
courtesy photobucket

Finally I went to talk with the homeowner, and asked if there was something wrong with the job to which she answered, “No the job is fine I'm real happy with it.”

The next question I asked was, “Don't you think you need to pay for it if there is nothing wrong with the job.” Her answer was “No, I can't pay because I don't have any money.”

She then continued before I could ask another question and said, “I just needed a new roof and I got one.”

I was still in a reasoning mood so I said, “I have a signed contract where you promised to pay for the roof.” She said, “Yes, I signed it but I had no intention of paying, like I told you I needed a new roof and I got one.”

       
I told her, “You know I will have to take this to court?”  To which she said; “Yes, you do that but I don't have any money so it won't do you any good.”

She added again, “I needed a new roof so I bought one.”

Then I decided I wasn't getting anywhere with her.  I couldn't repossess the roof like an automobile, and I couldn't remove it for that would be illegal, I was stuck.

As I started to leave I couldn't help but ask "Why did you select my company to do the work?" For the life of me I couldn't understand her answer which was, "You gave me the best deal and your price was lower than the others!”

I thought, if she had no intention of paying for the roof anyhow so why did she shop for the lowest price?

To this date I am still puzzled by her explanation perhaps you can figure that one out, for you would have thought she would have went for the most expensive one since she wasn't going to pay for it anyway.

I followed the good business practice by getting a judgment for the whole amount for the court record, but was never able to collect payment. 

As it turned out some years later she tried to make a large purchase, and was turned down for bad credit because of my lien against her. 

She blamed me!!  Can you imagine that?

 This post is Shared with Laura at The Wellspring

And with Hazel at:Tell Me a True Story http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/