My father was always on time - for everything.  Whenever he had an appointment or meeting, whether it was for the dentist, Mass on Sunday or an airline departure, he always built in what he called "flat tire time".  It was part of some sort of ethic he tried to pass on to his children.

Like my father, and most real estate agents, I am habitually punctual, sometimes compulsively so, and have been annoyed by people who are not.  And the last couple of months, in the context of house renovations, I’ve been amazed at the number of home improvement professionals who have a very casual relationship with on-time arrivals.

If someone says "I’ll be there between 1:30 and 2 o’clock, and if they show up at 3:15, is says to me that they are careless with their word in small things.  So, how will they handle the big stuff?

If a guy shows up late for the first appointment, will he begin work on July 5th, or will it be the 25th?  If I’m planning a week at the beach, will my plans be disrupted by a contractor’s schedule? 

I think that most  of the real estate agents I know are good about showing up, especially if they have to meet colleagues at their listings.  Maybe it’s spoiled me a little bit. 

Today, an electrician who was highly recommended by central air God, Ron Gallant, showed up on the dot, as did Ron when he came yesterday.  But I’m sitting here at my computer waiting for the final proposal from one of the two general contractors I am considering for the bathroom restorations (this one on my insurance company’s list).  They called two hours ago and said they’d email it to me in a few minutes.  I gotta wonder what it’s going to be like to deal with these fellows once my house is torn apart and I’m counting on them to put it back together. 

Yikes!

The good part of this is, I’m learning what it feels like to be kept waiting.  It pisses me off.  And it’s reminding me what my own clients will feel like if I keep them waiting!