Bad Business

I won't do this very often, but I'm giving a bad recommendation to a local company.  We have a sprinkler system and for years we used a "big" company to service it in the spring and fall.  A couple of summers ago we decided to switch to a smaller, local company: Systematic Rain.  We like to support small businesses and they had better rates.  Win.  Win.

I'm not sure what happened.  New management, perhaps, but this year they have been nothing but rude and unreliable.  For instance, earlier this spring when the guy (hereby known as TG) called the house, he asked for my husband.  I explained that Wade was at work and asked if he was calling to set up a time to come out.  He said yes.  I said that I was actually the one he needed to talk to about times.  TG responded, and I quote, "Ha ha ha (totally condescending laughter)...have him call me (totally condescending tone)."  I was livid and told my husband as much.  Wade called TG back and said "Give my wife a call to set up a time to come out."  TG stammered something about doing that soon.  He never called.

Weeks later we finally get an appointment set up and some guy (hereby known as SG) comes out.  He gets the sprinkler system up and running and explains that there are a couple of spots with low pressure, but nothing that should be a problem.  A couple of weeks later SG shows up, completely unannounced, at my front door.  He says he's there to fix a leak.  I know nothing of the leak and nothing about him coming out that day and tell him so.  He leaves.  A few days later we are informed, by our neighbor, that there is a massive leak in our system that is flooding part of his front lawn.  Wade calls.  We never hear back from TG or SG.  We call our "big" company (which I just earned is also local).  They were out two days later and have everything fixed.

Today, just a moment ago, as a matter of fact, I happen to look out my front window and see a man with two huge shovels walking across my lawn.  Not to my front door, but headed to the spot where the leak used to be.  I saw his Systematic Rain truck parked on the street.  No appointment.  No warning phone call.  I ran out to stop him before he dug up my front yard.  "We had a different company come out to take care of that," I said.  "Oh, " he said,  "Perfect."  Not a sarcastic perfect.  But a friendly, glad-you-got-it-taken-care-of-by-someone-other-than-us perfect.  What?

Is it just me?  Are my expectations too high?  Not returning phone calls and speaking like a male chauvinist pig to someone who wants to pay you money don't seem like traits on which to build a successful company.  Anyway, I guess the grass is always greener with the other sprinkler company.