"Oh, We're Booked for Four Weeks on Estimate Appointments..." [View all]
So, I started yesterday trying to price contractors to install a new fence. I identified the five top-rated fence building contractors in my area, and began to make contact calls and emails. (OK, cue the people saying "Build your own dang fence, city boy!"
I receive a response from one contract company, as follows (approximate): "We are all booked up on estimate appointments for the next four weeks. The soonest estimate appointment we can manage for you is June 16. Would you like to make an appointment?"
Mind you, this appointment would not be for actually building the fence. Gawd only knows when that would happen. This appointments is only for having somebody come out, walk the property, assess the cost for removing the current fence, providing fencing options, and determining an estimate. June 16! (Just for some context, our house is on a standard Chicago city lot - we're not talking about a Montana ranch here!)
On the one hand, fine, I'm happy for the company. They're doing well. They can't even get out to see me for damn near a month. Busy busy busy.
On the other hand, unemployment is at 7.5%. Isn't it time to hire somebody when you can't get out to do a fence estimate inside of a month? I mean, honestly, what is considered "capacity" in this business? I'm mystified.
And they lost my business.
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