Is this wrong of me?

[annemayer]

I am particular about time. I try to always be prompt and when I am not going to be,I call. If for some reason I cannot call,I apologize immediately and feel bad about it. My husband makes deliveries and if he is late,he is to apologize,and always call as well - the business he works for would be pi$$ed if he showed up late because it is unprofessional. But today I found myself in a situation where I am questioning my upbringing and thoughts as to what is considered courtesy.
We had no heat,so our landlord hired someone to come out,and they were to be here between 12 and 2. It was painfully cold and a few times I felt like leaving for a while and just going to the store to get warm,but couldn't since I didn't want to be gone when they arrived. 2 comes around,no one here. I call the office of the company,no answer. Now,I'm freezing,so are my kids,and I think,ok,now what...I really want to get out of here and get warm,but I stay. At 2:45,they arrive,and I say I called your office a few times,I wasn't sure if you were coming or not,and the guy says "Be grateful I showed up at all". Not sorry we were late,nothing.. I was shocked. I tell him that is pretty unprofessional,and rude. He then informs me he is actually a relative of our landlord and that he was squeezing us into the schedule. So I say ok,I didn't realize that,I would have appreciated a phone call even still.After all,even though to him I am just some renter,I am paying to be here,it isn't as if I am being done a favor by having the service provided. Both of us acknowledged the disagreement,and were very cordial after that,or so I thought, and that is how it was left. Within minutes of him leaving,I get a call from the landlord he is related to,who is clearly angry I said anything at all-apparently the guy contacted him immediately after leaving. My landlord seems to be not only angry with me for saying anything but also feels I was unreasonable to even have wanted a call.

I know I can be a brusque personality,and I rub some of you the wrong way,but in this situation,when I don't know that this guy is a family member squeezing us in,was I wrong to have mentioned being late at all? I mean,if I were the owner of the home and this was just some company I hired,I would have just said forget it,leave. So,when my landlord knows I had no idea they were related or that this was a favor,should he be so angry with me? If I was wrong,I would like to know. I would change the way I am about being on time if I had a reason to think it was wrong,but I have never in my life felt it was not common courtesy to be prompt or at least call if you weren't going to be. I would have not said anything had i known the circumstances,but since I didn't,I was holding them to the same standard I myself,my husband,and any professional are held to. Let me have it-if you feel I am a jerk IN THIS SITUATION please tell me so. I genuinely don't think I am wrong here,but we all have things that we need to improve,so maybe I am.

 

[GWguy]

Are you serious? 45 minutes late from a repair guy who's probably running his fool butt off fixing everyone else heaters too during one of the longest cold snaps we've seen in a long time?

It's not exactly easy to call ahead to alert you to them being late when they are probably elbow deep in fuel oil and soot.

Yes, over-reaction.

 

[Wenchy]

I hate to be abrasive, but I am. Please use the space bar after your commas. TIA.

As for your question. I would be upset. I get phone calls from techs that usually ask if it's okay if they show up early.

Fine and dandy by me. However, if I sat and waited (while freezing) I would be rather ticked off.

 

[craptastic]

:shrug:No...I'd be annoyed too

 

[jmplachta]

I am particular about time. I try to always be prompt and when I am not going to be,I call. If for some reason I cannot call,I apologize immediately and feel bad about it. My husband makes deliveries and if he is late,he is to apologize,and always call as well - the business he works for would be pi$$ed if he showed up late because it is unprofessional. But today I found myself in a situation where I am questioning my upbringing and thoughts as to what is considered courtesy.
We had no heat,so our landlord hired someone to come out,and they were to be here between 12 and 2. It was painfully cold and a few times I felt like leaving for a while and just going to the store to get warm,but couldn't since I didn't want to be gone when they arrived. 2 comes around,no one here. I call the office of the company,no answer. Now,I'm freezing,so are my kids,and I think,ok,now what...I really want to get out of here and get warm,but I stay. At 2:45,they arrive,and I say I called your office a few times,I wasn't sure if you were coming or not,and the guy says "Be grateful I showed up at all". Not sorry we were late,nothing.. I was shocked. I tell him that is pretty unprofessional,and rude. He then informs me he is actually a relative of our landlord and that he was squeezing us into the schedule. So I say ok,I didn't realize that,I would have appreciated a phone call even still.After all,even though to him I am just some renter,I am paying to be here,it isn't as if I am being done a favor by having the service provided. Both of us acknowledged the disagreement,and were very cordial after that,or so I thought, and that is how it was left. Within minutes of him leaving,I get a call from the landlord he is related to,who is clearly angry I said anything at all-apparently the guy contacted him immediately after leaving. My landlord seems to be not only angry with me for saying anything but also feels I was unreasonable to even have wanted a call.

I know I can be a brusque personality,and I rub some of you the wrong way,but in this situation,when I don't know that this guy is a family member squeezing us in,was I wrong to have mentioned being late at all? I mean,if I were the owner of the home and this was just some company I hired,I would have just said forget it,leave. So,when my landlord knows I had no idea they were related or that this was a favor,should he be so angry with me? If I was wrong,I would like to know. I would change the way I am about being on time if I had a reason to think it was wrong,but I have never in my life felt it was not common courtesy to be prompt or at least call if you weren't going to be. I would have not said anything had i known the circumstances,but since I didn't,I was holding them to the same standard I myself,my husband,and any professional are held to. Let me have it-if you feel I am a jerk IN THIS SITUATION please tell me so. I genuinely don't think I am wrong here,but we all have things that we need to improve,so maybe I am.

I don't think that you are being unreasonable in expecting someone to show up during a period of time in which they specified to you. Depending on the tone of the interaction, it sounds based on your post that it was appropriate and the interaction should have been done. A landlord has to maintain their property's and he/she was fortunate to have a relative in that business that could squeeze you in, but that does not warrant rude customer service.

 

[cattitude]

Are you serious? 45 minutes late from a repair guy who's probably running his fool butt off fixing everyone else heaters too during one of the longest cold snaps we've seen in a long time?

It's not exactly easy to call ahead to alert you to them being late when they are probably elbow deep in fuel oil and soot.

Yes, over-reaction.

 

[Gilligan]

A landlord has to maintain their property's and he/she was fortunate to have a relative in that business that could squeeze you in, but that does not warrant rude customer service.

x2..

 

[annemayer]

Are you serious? 45 minutes late from a repair guy who's probably running his fool butt off fixing everyone else heaters too during one of the longest cold snaps we've seen in a long time?

It's not exactly easy to call ahead to alert you to them being late when they are probably elbow deep in fuel oil and soot.

Yes, over-reaction.

And how you feel seems to be how my landlord felt,but my position is that 1.if a person is paid for a service,which I thought he was,shouldn't you treat your customer with courtesy? and calling is easy-pick up the cell once in your vehicle,or done with your previous job.

 

[FED_UP]

Are you serious? 45 minutes late from a repair guy who's probably running his fool butt off fixing everyone else heaters too during one of the longest cold snaps we've seen in a long time?

It's not exactly easy to call ahead to alert you to them being late when they are probably elbow deep in fuel oil and soot.

Yes, over-reaction.

People that do this type of work I would guess are very busy this time of year. 45 minutes late sounds very reasonable to me, and yea you should have kept your mouth shut and been grateful he showed up at all. Your fault the owner is kind of ticked off. Making a visit to the DRs office is quite different, you get there and anyway guess what, you still wait, but your on time wasting time when you could have been doing something else. I too call when not making appointment to the DRs office, the type of service he does is way different and you should have, so he rushing to drive to your house and yea he would appreciate someone calling his cell phone so he can get a ticket. Being punctual does make a person look good but #### happens. Actually I would apologize and say I was frustrated having my kids in the cold, which you were who would not be.

 

[jhns64]

Yeah, I think 45 minutes during a busy cold snap is totally to be expected. A few hours late I might call the landlord asking whats up but no more than that.

 

[Cheeky1]

You could have approached this differently, but hindsight is 20/20.

The kids being in the picture definately complicates the emotions.

If you told the landlord precisely what you stated in your post there really shouldn't be any problems.

You over-reacted first, then, your landlord over-reacted second.

Renting is so much fun, is it not? (from a fellow renter)

 

[annemayer]

I did say repeatedly to him that when he apologized for snapping at me that it was ok,and that I can understand he is busy,but my point here is that if I had left him sitting in his truck waiting for me to be there to let him in,he would have been upset. Right?

 

[bcp]

Ive come to expect that in the service world, 2 means maybe by 4.

A call would have been professional. So I see both sides here

now the question I have is this.
Since all rental contracts for homes read differently as far as who repair and what type of repair is payed by. What does your rental agreement say on this.

the next point is this, By law, the landlord does not have to insure that you have heat in the winter, the home is still considered liveable without heat. (even though in my opinion it really is not)

 

[betty99]

Who cares whether they are related or not? It's rude of the service technician and it's rude of your landlord. You are a paying tenant. Providing working heat and ac in adverse climate situtaions is mandated by law.

 

[annemayer]

Yeah, I think 45 minutes during a busy cold snap is totally to be expected. A few hours late I might call the landlord asking whats up but no more than that.

So if someone has to work in your home,you just expect them to be late? And feel ok if they don't even acknowledge it? I am very glad I posted this now..I am seeing a lot of other perspectives here. I don't want to be a jerk about this issue, and I appreciate you all giving your input.

 

[desertrat]

I am particular about time. I try to always be prompt and when I am not going to be,I call. If for some reason I cannot call,I apologize immediately and feel bad about it. My husband makes deliveries and if he is late,he is to apologize,and always call as well - the business he works for would be pi$$ed if he showed up late because it is unprofessional. But today I found myself in a situation where I am questioning my upbringing and thoughts as to what is considered courtesy.
We had no heat,so our landlord hired someone to come out,and they were to be here between 12 and 2. It was painfully cold and a few times I felt like leaving for a while and just going to the store to get warm,but couldn't since I didn't want to be gone when they arrived. 2 comes around,no one here. I call the office of the company,no answer. Now,I'm freezing,so are my kids,and I think,ok,now what...I really want to get out of here and get warm,but I stay. At 2:45,they arrive,and I say I called your office a few times,I wasn't sure if you were coming or not,and the guy says "Be grateful I showed up at all". Not sorry we were late,nothing.. I was shocked. I tell him that is pretty unprofessional,and rude. He then informs me he is actually a relative of our landlord and that he was squeezing us into the schedule. So I say ok,I didn't realize that,I would have appreciated a phone call even still.After all,even though to him I am just some renter,I am paying to be here,it isn't as if I am being done a favor by having the service provided. Both of us acknowledged the disagreement,and were very cordial after that,or so I thought, and that is how it was left. Within minutes of him leaving,I get a call from the landlord he is related to,who is clearly angry I said anything at all-apparently the guy contacted him immediately after leaving. My landlord seems to be not only angry with me for saying anything but also feels I was unreasonable to even have wanted a call.

QUOTE]

At that point he was rude. I think I would said "Oh I am so sorry, I forgive you from the bottom of my heart". Maybe he would get it later on. Anyway those guys are busy right now, so 45 minutes really isn't too bad.

 

[betty99]

Ive come to expect that in the service world, 2 means maybe by 4.

A call would have been professional. So I see both sides here

now the question I have is this.
Since all rental contracts for homes read differently as far as who repair and what type of repair is payed by. What does your rental agreement say on this.

the next point is this, By law, the landlord does not have to insure that you have heat in the winter, the home is still considered liveable without heat. (even though in my opinion it really is not)

I have never rented a home in MD, but in FL, it is considered unlivable. Thought it was a federal provision that if temperatures are below or above a certain point, they are required to fix it to make the location livable.

 

[retiredweaxman]

I personally think you over-reacted...and he over-reacted...

This has been a brutal stretch of winter. just check out the number of treads started about oil costs and usage, heaters on the fritz, etc. OK, so the techie is stretched to the limit. He was only 45 minutes late. Perhaps he did not have your phone number - maybe your landlord did not pass the number on and therefore he could not call. He told you, "Be grateful I am here." Were you or did he appear to be "just a repairman" there to do a job for you? Anytime someone comes to my house (cable, satellite, whatever), I always offer a Coke, coffee or something...

He over-reacted as well. As you stated, he was, "a relative of the landlord" so my guess is he was not going to make as much (if any) money from your service call...so he might have had a chip on his shoulder as well as being overworked (see above post)...

A little levity and understanding would have gone a long way from both parties.

 

[annemayer]

Ive come to expect that in the service world, 2 means maybe by 4.

A call would have been professional. So I see both sides here

now the question I have is this.
Since all rental contracts for homes read differently as far as who repair and what type of repair is payed by. What does your rental agreement say on this.

the next point is this, By law, the landlord does not have to insure that you have heat in the winter, the home is still considered liveable without heat. (even though in my opinion it really is not)

Our landlord was paying for the service call,we don't pay anything for things like heat/ac,etc. But our landlord has always been very good about making repairs,so that isn't really the tone of this thread.

 

[Gilligan]

the next point is this, By law, the landlord does not have to insure that you have heat in the winter, the home is still considered liveable without heat. (even though in my opinion it really is not)

Really? I would have thought that the heat was included with what constitutes liveable (although I knew AC was not included).

Bottom line is (speaking as a former landlord that still owns two units that I stopped renting on the open market): The laws/rules favor the tenant rights and requirements over the landlord's all day long. So this guy might have a deal going with a relative to service the HVAC on his rentals...but he does not want to run afoul of the county when it comes to any complaints from tenants that point to habitability problems.