Snowmelt brings people together?

Tinman

I am not trying to take credit for this. Any number of contractors in my area are capable of designing and installing a successful snowmelt system.

My customer for this job was a guy about 70 years old, living in a very nice Frank Llody Wright home. He's a contractor in his own right, owning a company that makes fine furniture and cabinetry. When I first started the job, he brought up his neighbor and described him as an angry old man who actually cusses at him every chance he gets and my customer has no idea why. Every time the neighbor pulled out of his driveway, my customer would reiterate stories of how mean and ornery this guy was.

So one day as I'm outside connecting the 3/4" pex to the manifolds, the neighbor comes over and asks me what I'm doing. My customer is not home, of course. These guys don't along. I introduce myself, shake his hand, and tell him that we're installing an automatic snow melting system. I've got his interest right away and he's says he'd be interested in me doing the same job for him. I tell him I'd be more than happy to put together a proposal and this 80 something gentleman begins to tell me his story. Turns out he was a very successful general contractor back in the day and his home certainly reflected success. He says to me " How is it working for this guy, he's a pain in my a$@!" I tell him everything's good. He's particular about things but I expected that from a guy who makes fine furniture for a living. He basically responded with a "huh".

So, this morning I got a call from my customer, the cabinet maker. My first thought was this can't be good. We're in the middle of a pretty good snow storm here in the suburbs of northwest Chicago and before I pick up the phone my mind is racing as to what possibly could have gone wrong. Turns out it was nothing bad at all. He said the driveway was meltng great and that he was shocked to get a phone call from his one time nemesis, his next door neighbor, about 20 minutes ago. He wanted to know what he thought of the new system and the company that installed it. My customer said they talked cordially for the first time in 10 years and each apologized for their behavior. Wow! Go figure?

Gordy

You gotta find out what the friction was there. I hope you get the other snowmelt job. Today would be a seller. The movie "Grumpy old men" is in my head.

Tinman

@Gordy - I was thinking the same thing. It should have been titled Grumpy Old Men or The Odd Couple...same players. I don't want to know what their history is. I do want the other sale. I suspect they try to out-do each other.

Gordy

For 10 years grumpy guy never knew what the other guy did for success. Until you eluded to it.

icesailor

Expectations.

Bad and unfounded expectations can cause real problems.

Or what untruth was said by someone, about someone, to someone else.

Tinman

Contempt without investigation?

Gordy

I'm thinking grumpy thought other guy was born with a candy bar in each hand, and his hardest day was when the dairy ripple ran out of ice cream.

icesailor

Gordy said:

I'm thinking grumpy thought other guy was born with a candy bar in each hand, and his hardest day was when the dairy ripple ran out of ice cream.

I think it was when "Meathead" ate Archie Bunkers last Twinkie for his lunch box.