Another "I hate hiring work out" complaint.

[Susie]

Last time we had our chimney cleaned, they did a temporary fix and told us that we needed a repair on the chimney when summer came.  I don't know what it was, I delegated the whole affair to Calvin.  The estimate was around $1k.  Not a fun way to spend $1k, but whatever.  So we decided to schedule it.

It took Calvin like 5+ calls to the same place that did the estimate, just to get a call back.  Then they required about 1/3 paid upfront before they'd schedule the date.  Then yesterday [they're coming tomorrow] they left a message on our home answering machine calling to confirm for Wed., and said that if we did not call them back actively confirming the date that we already paid them $360 to schedule, they would not show.

Seriously?  I'm kind of irritated.  I get being concerned about no-shows, but isn't that what the $360 protects them from?  And kind of steep at that, we are like 3 miles from them!  I'm also irrationally annoyed about "we're calling to confirm, we're canceling your app't if you don't call back."  Calvin always gives them his cell number, because we are NEVER home during business hours.  He's not even sure why they have that number.  Don't call our house, where nobody's there, and threaten to cancel if we don't answer/call back!

Ugh.  If it wasn't the chimney, which I don't want to mess around with, I'd be so over this.  I also wish there was somebody else around here that I could call instead. 

/vent