First, a little background information. I like to keep a clean home. And, for the most part, I'm usually satisfied with the way things look around here. I have things reasonably organized and pretty darn clean. I don't really mind cleaning. In fact, there are just a few household jobs that I detest. Windows, screens, and blinds. I usually only do these jobs twice a year because I dread them so much. Often, Bob will help me out to help cut the time in half (and to reach the higher-up windows). Last Saturday, my dear husband cheerfully (okay, I'm exaggerating) consented to help me with these dreaded tasks so that I could enjoy looking out at the beautiful spring flowers and blossoming trees that surround my home. There's nothing like crystal clear windows on a gorgeous spring day. Plus, there's just something about clean windows that makes my home feel so fresh. Bob worked for hours on the outside getting the windows sparkly clean. I could not have been happier. I mean that. I had a smile on my face and a spring in my step the rest of the day. Oh sure, I knew it would eventually rain and mess my windows up a bit, but for now they looked perfect.
Fast forward to Wednesday. I get a phone call from the pest control company that services my home stating that they would be coming out between 2 and 4 pm that afternoon to spray my home inside and out. I won't mention the name of the company, because I don't want to tarnish their reputation, but it rhymes with Dorkin.... I immediately panicked! I wouldn't be home until 2:15 pm and I really, really needed to talk to the technician BEFORE he sprayed. You see, last time he sprayed I had bug spray dripping down my windows for days. You can probably see where I'm going with this.... What are the chances they would come in the first 15 minutes? Hmmmm.... It's a good thing I'm not a gambler. As I turned the corner onto my street that afternoon, at exactly 2:15 pm, I saw his truck. Surely he hadn't sprayed yet, I thought. I was wrong. The Dorkin man proudly proclaimed that he had just finished spraying the outside foundation and around my windows. AUGHHHHHH!!!!!! My insides filled with rage. I immediately scanned the front windows, and to my horror they were all saturated with bug spray. Dripping bug spray. Dripping-down-my-clean-windows bug spray. I was devastated. I went on to politely explain to "Mike" that my windows had just been washed and that I was disappointed to see bug spray dripping down them. Just a note, in the 13 years that this company has been servicing our home, we have never had a problem with this... until this year, with this technician. He proceeded to tell me that they have started applying their products in a "new way". I was nodding and smiling on the outside, but I was calling his bluff on the inside. Surely, this cannot be standard procedure.... can you even imagine how many people would complain if they had to deal with this every 4 weeks? I, for one, am not willing to. Needless to say, I spent all of last night rewashing my once-clean windows. I'm bitter. Very bitter. I'm going to do something about this. I'm just not sure what that something is going to be. Do I cancel my service and try another company? Do I ask for a different technician? Do I call headquarters and request that they do not spray my house the "new way"? Do I make friends with the spiders and stop service altogether? I'm puzzled, and I'm bugged! Advice?
2 comments:
Just a little shot of perspective, though I sympathize with your plight. A family in our neighborhood hired pest control to take care of their vole problem a few years ago. The technician placed the poison too close to the house. The fumes from the poison ended up killing their four and two year old little girls. This remarkable family immediately forgave the poor technician. Christianity at it's finest. Yep, I'd voice my complaint, remembering that this is a small inconvenience and not a life-altering tragedy. I'd probably consider hiring out the window cleaning as well. But you're speaking to a woman who hasn't cleaned her windows in ....sometime...we'll leave it at that.
Point well taken. See, that's what I needed, someone to help me see the bigger picture. How sad for that family. I will never complain again.... :) What a wise niece I have.
Post a Comment