What is the most frustrating thing you have to deal with?

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

What is the most frustrating thing you have to deal with? This could be fun guys.... :)

Beth

[Bryan C 14]

Equipment problems (busted hose) in the middle of a job...

[RPetry 564]

My wife being p. o.'d at me for drinking too much beer after a hard day's work. Honestly, I was much worse 20 yrs. ago when we were married!

And it is always so friggin' hot during wood season....

[PPC 37]

my employees not listening to me

[bigchaz 157]

Truthfully the most frustrating for me is trying to deal with certain group of people whom I have extreme trouble understanding and that insist on trying to negotiate everything. I know as soon I hear a certain accent on the phone that I'm in for trouble. But what can you do....I still go do the estimate...and they take twice or three times as long just trying to explain basic concepts. They ask the same questions over and over and never grasp the fact that you cant put stain on a 10 year old deck without cleaning and that I don't care about the color chart they have from home depot. Sorry for the rant.... I just had three of those bids in a row on Friday...took me all morning. At this point I'm actually hoping I don't get the work

[Kory 14]

Stupid people!

[Scott Stone 604]

Employees that are always thinking for themselves trying to save me money. It has not happened yet...

[Thad 135]

Truthfully the most frustrating for me is trying to deal with certain group of people whom I have extreme trouble understanding and that insist on trying to negotiate everything. I know as soon I hear a certain accent on the phone that I'm in for trouble. But what can you do....I still go do the estimate...and they take twice or three times as long just trying to explain basic concepts. They ask the same questions over and over and never grasp the fact that you cant put stain on a 10 year old deck without cleaning and that I don't care about the color chart they have from home depot. Sorry for the rant.... I just had three of those bids in a row on Friday...took me all morning. At this point I'm actually hoping I don't get the work

Yeah, rednecks are a pain to deal with, and as far as understanding them....

:lol:

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

my employees not listening to me

Care to elaborate?

Beth

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Stupid people!

Got any examples?

Beth

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Employees that are always thinking for themselves trying to save me money. It has not happened yet...

Got a story to go with that?

Beth

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Fortunately we have only had a few of these but, the most frustrating thing for me to deal with is a customer that thinks they can treat us, our company or it's crews like we are beneath them just because they are the customer who holds dearly to the stupid adage "the customer is always right". If that person could see the monsters he created ...

There are those that abuse it and take advantage of it to get more for themselves.

Great thing about being a business owner, we can choose our clientele and the ones we keep are the ones who treat us with the same respect we show them and their property.

Other than that and this is a close 2nd is lack of good water flow at a residence. I loath waiting for a tank to fill enough to finish a job. We usually have everything ready to go so hoses are all that need to be rolled up, but it cuts into productivity waiting. No one wants to damage the pump!

:rant:

Rod!~

Edited July 22, 2008 by Beth n Rod
additional info

[Doug Dahlke 114]

Showing up for a new construction clean up and finding piles of crap in the garage and or other trades on the site and in the way. Several times I have gone to one and the water is not on.

[StainlessDeal 16]

This changes from time to time, but presently I am terribly frustrated by my physical limits. This year has been a bad one for my body.

A few years back I was in a pretty serious crash, and broke a lot of bones, and had some steel implanted to shore up the structure, I know I've written about it here and elsewhere.

This year I have worked more than ever before (which is good) but the physicality of the work is harder on me as the body settles into a new routine. I expected that and can deal with it.

What is so frustrating is the storms this year have caused an explosion of mold in the air that irritates my allergies, causing congestion and sneezing that really puts me through the ringer. Coughing and sneezing aggravates the dameged nerve ganglia in my chest and back, which is excruciating, but also lead to tenseness that can trigger migraine headaches.

Definately nothing I had planned for, and very painful halfway through a physical job.

Over the season since late march I'm averaging almost two full working days lost to migraine headaches a week! I'm taking a very active approach to dealing with this, but my business has sufferred.

That is my biggest frustration these days.

Interestingly, I have found that increasing my volunteer time in my community has been a great help in mitigating the damage. Sometimes helping people less fortunate can have an unexpected benefit in our own lives.

I'm interested to hear how others are dealing with their frustrations. Any volunteers?

[Scott Stone 604]

Got a story to go with that?

Beth

how about doing a 400k parking garage with cold water because he thought I would not want to spend the money on fuel? We had to do it over again for free. Or in another area of my biz not using the right anchors, thus not meeting specs and losing a 300k a year account. other than that, nothing major.

Edited July 23, 2008 by Scott Stone

[Mark Williamson 14]

Scheduling around the weather. Call backs because of employee mistakes.

[Celeste 341]

Next door neighbors *****ing about the trailers in OUR driveway!

[Tegrey 121]

Too much work, not enough skilled workers and getting my business life in order?

[Don Phelps 85]

Great thing about being a business owner, we can choose our clientele and the ones we keep are the ones who treat us with the same respect we show them and their property.

We've only 'fired' 2 customers in 8 years.......One of the finer things of self-employment when things go south!

[ezdayman 14]

scott what specs did you miss? that sucks!! I know what everyone is talking about. I hate how people talk to you like they are better then you cause they hired you they feel like they own you for that hour or two. If I have someone asking me about INS and if Ill replace this or fix this if its damaged I just dont do the job Im not going to putting a claim in on my INS cause someone wants something done for free... I say to myself everyone puts there pants on the same who cares what they think about you and that no one is every better then who you are! makes my day a little better

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

We've only 'fired' 2 customers in 8 years.......One of the finer things of self-employment when things go south!

Or before things can go south too!

Rod!~