taking care of the customer

allen levine

Member
Messages
12,344
Location
new york city burbs
loyalty pays off in the long run.

I noticed my sprinkler system was not working today, so I went into the timer box, and the icon said no AC power.

I checked as much as I understand, checked all my breakers, couldn't figure it out.

IM not good with any electrical or usually mechanical stuff. I also stink at plumbing. Im just about the most unhandiest person around.

I called my electrician, he didn't return my call.

being 95 degrees everyday, I felt I need to water the lawn every other day, so I dug up an old oscillating sprinkler I had laying behind the shed. Its 20 years old, but it still works.

still need to get the box repaired or replaced, so I decided to call my gardener, he turns it on and off everyyear.

He said, Ill come right over and take a look. Whoa.......I didn't expect that. I figured when hes here next week, hell take a look.

30 minutes later, he was tracing wires and found the problem.

I don't know or remember who hooked it up, but its a cruddy job. They ran the wire into the floor, into the crawl, put a plug on it, and plugged it into an extension cord that is plugged in somewhere down there.

He fixed the problem, seems a switch was thrown down there, no idea how on earth that happened. no one ever goes down there.

I felt a bit silly, Im sure if I knew there was a plug, I could have gotten my fat butt down there and figured it out.

Regardless, he drove over, was here for 25 minutes, I said, Joe, what do I owe you?

he refused to take money, said Im a good customer for 15 years, its his pleasure.

IM afraid hes a dying breed, as I don't think there are many businessmen like him left in this world.
 
Yep, guys like Joe are a rare breed, but they still exist out there. :thumb:

Yes. And aren't they a blessing!
Our gardner was that way. He worked for us for 16 years. He fell off of a ladder and was injured (not here) and cannot work any more. I have worked with others, spent a lot of money, and am still not happy. I want another Joe or Buddy.

Enjoy,
JimB

Tell Joe, "Hi from an admirer."
 
we had a fabulous gardener before joe, but he and his father, (and Im not sure, maybe his brother also) died when one got ill in a septic tank, the other went down to save him, and I believe the other brother tried to save his brother and father and all 3 died.
It was a tragic story on LI many moons ago.
It was difficult calling his wife and family back then, such a complete loss to a close knit family.
Im ashamed I cant remember their names. senility.
 
I've only had one gardener in my life... when we lived in the Bay Area many years ago and bought our first house, I had nothing to do lawns with ... including incentive... so we hired Mr. Ohara. Mr. Ohara spoke little to no English... when I needed to change addresses with him when we moved, he put his 10 year old daughter on the line to take messages and either she or he wrote the address change down... he showed on time at the new address.... He spoke little English but understood hand signs superbly.... I could point to a bush and wave my hand over the top and he understood I wanted it trimmed, a point to a flower bed and turn my hand over and he understood to turn over the beds.... we had a relatively small yard and it seemed like it took longer to unload his equipment than it did to do the yard.... I could use him now... I have just under an acre to mow, most of it up hill at between 20 & 30 degree slope...
 
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