Thankfully, I work from home full time, and have for many years. One requirement when I bought my current home was it have air conditioning. Like most people, servicing my HVAC system has not been a priority. Naturally, today I pay the price for lack of formal maintenance, as I wait for a service technician arrive and make the AC work reliably again. It is neither enjoyable or productive to sit in an 85°F/29°C room for eight-plus hours. Thankfully, summer is over and temperatures are mild, so the timing is at least good.
Ok, it is a first-world problem, but it is mine and I will have it fixed.
To be honest, I can and do a lot of maintenance on my own. I have skills and experience, and sometimes use them. I am a generalist, however, not a specialist. While I am confident I can fix the issue on my own, having a specialist check things I would not think too is worth the price.
I will do my best to avoid fulfilling the old adage on customers helping contractors…
Contractor Hourly Rates:
$100/hour – contractor left alone to work
$200/hour – customer watching over contractor
$300/hour – customer helps contractor
Deliveries
More deliveries of furnishings arrive today, maybe. I am expecting mattresses for the guest room/office. The office furniture is still sitting in transit someplace. The status is ‘Awaiting Other Items in Order’ on both items, sitting in the same warehouse, for the only two items in the order. If I dig into the order history I find ‘ready to schedule’ on both items in the order. That has been the case for five days.
I still contend that vendors are taking advantage of circumstances to maximize cash flow. Bill the customer when items ‘ship’, and let it sit in ‘transit’ for days before actually delivering. See my earlier post. I admit the reasons are likely legitimate. Covid has disrupted personnel and supply lines and there is no way to tell the difference. If it is easy enough to get away with, and no way to prove otherwise, I would expect companies to take the advantage.
It also says a lot about the world we live in today, and our expectations. When I was a kid, and anyone would order something, probably from a magazine, cereal box, or TV ad, the tag line was to ‘wait six to eight weeks for delivery.’
Now we have same-day delivery on a crazy variety of products. (Thanks, Big River Company.) In a way, we are spoiled, or privileged, or just darn fortunate. Ice blocks packed in sawdust used to be delivered by wooden sailboats from the great-lakes to all parts of the world. Today, I walk to my kitchen and push a button on my refrigerator door.
Technology solves many issues. I am thankful for my ice-maker and air-conditioned home. I still want my office cabinets, though. I guess waiting a week or two is not so bad.