As you know by now, I can get a little cranky at times. I don’t think I am a complainer, I just think that when things aren’t right, I have to say something, thats all.
I know this has started before the pandemic but I do think the pandemic has ignited a fire under service provider’s asses and given them the temerity to just flat out abuse their customers.
The World was tilted on its side in 2020. We suffered something we had never experienced in our lifetimes. Hundreds of millions of people sick, millions dying. Economic mayhem, political mayhem, invasions, melting of the ice caps.
Society, as a whole, has survived all of this and we “keep on keeping on” as the saying goes. The one residual effect of all the economic turmoil we have suffered is that producers and service providers have decided that it is their turn to take control of the market and they have continued to raise prices for no apparent reason other than they can.
As consumers, the only way to slow down or stop these price rises is to stop purchasing products that have increased their prices continually with no regard for the consumers that purchase those products.
I always harken back to the Philadelphia cream cheese price example. Looking at it economically, there is no reason anymore to continue the steep price increase on that familiar 1/2 lb bar of cream cheese. In March of 2020, that bar of cream cheese in a local supermarket cost 1.89. Today, I saw the same bar of cream cheese for 3.19. That is a 63% rise in the cost of one bar of cream cheese. Seriously? It famously has only five ingredients, and the main ingredient is milk. The cows are not getting paid more and the cows produce milk no matter what the economic conditions are. Maybe the farmers want more money for the milk but milk prices have been fairly stable over the last three years. Salt? Same price today as it has been for years. It’s also not a large component. The other three ingredients are used in such small quantities that even a large price increase would not justify the 63% overall rise in Philadelphia Cream Cheese prices.
No, it’s not ingredient inflation, it’s Kraft Mondalez taking advantage of inflation. The thing to do at this point is not buy the product but, unfortunately, Philadelphia Cream Cheese is one of those products that is head and shoulders above any of it’s competitors and a man has to eat. So, I roll my change and go buy it.
That is an example of the producers just flat out abusing their customers but what got me going this week was from a service provider that I am sure many of my readers have had similar experiences. My pool guy.
I will give you a couple of examples of how abusive these people can be.
During the pandemic, my pool was my refuge. I am very fortunate to have a very nice pool in my backyard. It is like my oasis from all the crap that is going on around the World and every day, rain or shine, I am in it. Then all of a sudden, my filter stops working. I fiddle with it a bit. No help. I call my pool guy and he has his technician come by and his prognosis was not good. I needed a new pump. Interesting because they installed the last pump three years before. I called the head guy and said pretty specifically that that was Bull++++. I explained I have had three other pools in my time and one of them is 11 years old and the pump is working just fine. He gave me some nonsense and said it would be 2,800 dollars. I told him to rethink that a bit and send the technician back. They did and the guy “discovered” that the circuit breaker was defective and needed to be replaced. He replaces it and I get the bill, $438.00. Interesting since that same circuit breaker in Home Depot cost $43. The “electrician” was there for less than 3 minutes. UGH. Obviously, I went to town on the owner and while they are still my pool guys, I watch and negotiate everything with them. I do not mind getting ripped off a little but come on.
I have another example that is still ongoing so I am not sure how it will be rectified. It has to do with getting billed 2,900 for a part that costs 1,090 at Leslies Pool store. I witnessed the installation of this part and it took their “Technician” less than five minutes to install. Talk about getting ripped off.
I know these are problems from a certain economic situation but it just highlights the fact that service providers at this point have no issue with gauging customers any chance they get. There are a couple of asterisks to the second example. Number one is that I complained about the egregiousness of that charge and we are waiting for some adjustment. Number two would be answering “Why don’t you just change service providers?”. Good question and the simple answer is we signed contracts with these people and on top of that, from what I have gathered, almost every pool maintenance company is the same. It seems they think they are like heart surgeons and only they can diagnose and fix any problems with a pool. Which I will tell you from this day forward, is not true.
One last thing and I have never done this before but I will tell you without sugar coating it, if the second pool company does not come back with a more workable price, I will go on every form of social media and expose this particular company for what is an abhorrent disregard for fair and equitable business practices.
What I would like to see is a company that fairly prices it’s service and does not have multiple pricing tiers based on location. Part A and service technician Sam cost the same no matter where they do their job.
Absolutely loved your “ rant” on getting screwed by almost everyone these days, and without a smile with happy ending !
I needed to move a electric box 10 feet for a outlet for a spa I just ordered and I have a young friend here who is starting a new “ handy man business “, his new business card says President! , first warning sign….. now this young man is a friend, we have helped each other over last years, shared dinner, wine, beer, slept at my house when to late and long drive home etc. You get the picture, so we
( I helped him) moved the conduit and box, talked had a beer, took about 1 hr, he did have to run to hardware store for the wire, but all done. Then we had steaks for dinner. A few days later I received an invoice, very neatly typed, for $412. , yep which included a $40 trip charge……this is a guy who is over hear all the time as he parks his fishing boat on my property.
This is the logic of today’s service workers, “ who gives a shit” all prices are going up and I am not going to be left behind, you can’t change “stupid”.
In regards to your pool guy story, my girlfriend has had a pool service guy for years, had him to Thanksgiving dinner of all things, once I start helping her with such things as, ladies are so trusting, I look at his bill for servicing her pool which is the size of a postage stamp, “ service rendered” $318 this was for the month and take about 10 minutes to sweep her pool.
Then, he told her that the 4 paper filters need to be replaced at $480., no way !! I went to my local store Amazon, bought the same filters for $100 and took me 15 minutes to change them. Then her pool guy quit ! Good luck in your thriving business my friend as eventfully there is a breaking point except for Philadelphia cream cheese, you’re stuck.
I just can’t figure out how these people can actually live this way, b6 the way, I will never touch a Bud light again!!
Cheers Peter
M