Taking responsibility in an irresponsible world

10 years ago, when I decided to leave Psychology graduate school and focus on my career as a Building Contractor, I thought that maybe “This world needs an honest contractor more than it needs another ‘shrink.’” And not to disparage my good friends in the ‘helping professions,’ it was a decision I’ve never regretted. It’s a small thing, in the big picture – fixing peoples homes, offices, apartments. But as time goes by, and the world around us becomes more corrupt, more irresponsible, and service and integrity have become quaint memories of a bygone era, my resolve to remain true to those values becomes even more important to me. I’m not saying I don’t make mistakes, far from it. And I can’t rest on my laurels with 14 men out there, hoping that they’ll embrace this work ethic by wishful thinking. But by and large, they are members of our crew because of the work ethic they have, and we watch out and watch over each other.

If you’ve ever waited around your home during a “4-hour delivery window,” or waited in vain for a contractor to return your call, or tried asking a question to the clueless employees at the local office supply store, you get an idea of the kinds of things I’m railing against. For example, one of our local competitors was recently working on a building we were also working on, and I read the NOTICE they had posted to the residents of this townhome community. Among the many disclaimers in this notice:
* Our work involves removing and re-installing skylights in your home. We are not responsible for any damage to the skylights in the process of our work.
Not responsible? I am amazed at what people will get away with these days because average folks, like you and I, aren’t used to having to look out for this lack of responsibility.

And, earlier this year, we were doing siding and trim replacement at two townhome communities. As it happens, a good portion of the trim we installed started to warp within 2 weeks of installation. This was expensive, kiln-dried, pre-primed trim stock purchased from our local lumberyard. I first contacted them, and was told to call the manufacturer. The manufacturer eventually offered to deliver a load of replacement trim to the jobsites for the amount that was warped, but neither HOA (understandably) wanted their trim replaced with this defective product. Meanwhile, I directed my crew to replace all the warped trim with redwood that we primed ourselves, and everyone was happy. Unfortunately, because the manufacturer was out of state, I couldn’t recoup the considerable amount I had lost in this debacle, and was told by the local lumberyard that they would only answer a claim if I took it to court. Of course, these calculated responses come for the corporate offices which are also out of state. Long gone are the days of these businesses taking responsibility in the communities they serve.

On the other hand, I’m glad to have found, through the years, a cadre of subcontractors, and employees, and regular customers that still do their best to take responsibility. Such a small thing? These days, I think it’s everything…