"Lisa BB." wrote in message
anews.com...
"MRS. CLEAN" wrote in
ups.com:


Do contractors bluff their way into men's lives in the same fashion
that they do women?

Or, are men smarter than women on projects?



No, they just Think they can get away with it toward women.
I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOO SICK OF SOME CONTRACTORS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


If you the right questions, they can't get away with as much. It's said that
men are unable to say "I don't know", but I think women are equally full of
pride at times. How about asking friends for ideas about questions to ask,
instead of putting up a wall and pretending to know what everyone is talking
about?

"RobertPatrick" wrote in message
...
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in
:

"Banty" wrote in message
...

After some time in this area, as a homeowner I've built up some
experience, and
follow the gambler's creed - knowing when to hold 'em, when to fold
'em. Keeping the good cards, so to speak.

If you're anywhere near Rochester NY, I know an auto repair shop you'd
love. They used to be 10 minutes away, but they moved to be closer to
where the 3 guys live. Now, they're 35 minutes away. They lost pretty
much NO customers. People drive that distance even just for an oil
change.



Please let me know, I'm in Charlotte (pronounced char- LOTTE, so you know
I'm really from Kodak city/flour city/flower city.

AutoWorks of Mendon
624-4457
Joe Ricci (service writer, customer harassment specialist, mechanic when the
phone's not distracting him)
Scot (with one "T") - mechanic
Bruce - mechanic

Believe me when I tell you it's worth the trip out there, especially if your
car's reaching the age when you're beginning to expect mysteries, and you
want someone who can spot problems ahead of time & help you budget for the
repairs. These guys have no problem with customers who want to be in the
work area so they can see what's being done. They're all good teachers.
You'll learn a lot about your car, if you're interested. They are all
comedians, and the customers are the unwitting straight men. It's something
you have to get used to.

Tell Joe you were recommended by the pain-in-the-ass customer with the black
Toyota pickup, formerly a white Taurus. He'll know who.

Take 104 to 590 south, get off the 2nd Monroe exit, and then a right turn on
Clover. I can't quite explain the rest - you'll need a map. From the
Monroe-Clover intersection, it's 10 minutes away if you don't run into too
many school buses or construction vehicles.

MRS. CLEAN wrote:
Do contractors bluff their way into men's lives in the same fashion
that they do women?

Or, are men smarter than women on projects?

You've got to speak the language. For example:

Dilbert: "I think it's the radiator cap."
Mechanic: "What did you say?!!"
Dilbert: "I think it's the #&*!!@ radiator cap."
Mechanic: "Well, why didn't you say so?"
Dilbert: "Sorry, I forgot where I was."

In article , RobertPatrick says...

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in
:

"Banty" wrote in message
...

After some time in this area, as a homeowner I've built up some
experience, and
follow the gambler's creed - knowing when to hold 'em, when to fold
'em. Keeping the good cards, so to speak.

If you're anywhere near Rochester NY, I know an auto repair shop you'd
love. They used to be 10 minutes away, but they moved to be closer to
where the 3 guys live. Now, they're 35 minutes away. They lost pretty
much NO customers. People drive that distance even just for an oil
change.



Please let me know, I'm in Charlotte (pronounced char- LOTTE, so you know
I'm really from Kodak city/flour city/flower city.

And folks, if you think that's a funny pronounciation, wait till you hear how
they pronounce "Chili, New York".

Banty

In article , wrote:

I'm not endorsing Mrs Clean's 99% claim which is clearly
over the top, but evidence of a problem is hard and real.


Um .... here is the data from the BBB link you supplied.

[...]

Contractors don't make the top ten.

Contractors of several times do make the top ten in reports requested
... but that is not an indication of disatisfaction.

In a previous incarnation, I ran a marketing research company. I
found then, as now, that most of the "statistically significant"
numbers people quote are significant of nothing at all.

Good, then you'll have some idea of how to examine some more
detailed data such as:

http://www.bbb.org/about/stat2005/us05compsort.pdf

In addition to the numbers of complaints, you'll want to
look at the numbers of unresolved complaints.

You'll also know how to dig out other sources of data
and note how frequently contractors (of various kinds)
consistently deliver lower customer satisfaction than
most other industries.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In article , wrote:

You'll also know how to dig out other sources of data
and note how frequently contractors (of various kinds)
consistently deliver lower customer satisfaction than
most other industries.

You really don't get it, do you?

Actually I do.

You are citing pseudo data.

Let me use myself as an example. At this moment, I have a very
unhappy woman client. She has complained to the BBB.

Oh right. Your personal rendition of a single annecdote
trumps a year of BBB data.

Her lawyers have told her she is wrong and unreasonable. My lawyers
have told her she is wrong and unreasonable. The BBB has told her
there is nothing they can do.

So, her complaint is unresolved.

Which means that 100 percent of the complaints against me in the last
ten years are unresolved

Which means that all the complaints against me by female clients in
the last ten years are unresolved.

Another way of looking at it: I have NEVER YET been willing to
resolve a dispute with a female client.

Or perhaps another statistic --- of 57 female clients in the last ten
years, only one was a whacko.

Well, if that's your data, that's your data and I won't
argue with it. But it isn't going to change my view of
the world one jot.

Please, please, please. If you want to think contractors are crooks,
do so. If you want to say you think contractors are crooks, say so.

I think some contractors are crooks (and some are not).
I think that contractors as a group deliver lower
customer satisfaction than many other industries.
I think those positions are supported by the best
data we have available.

Those positions are also supported by my own personal
experiences although I would expect the rest of the world
to dismiss that tiny sample.

But please, leave the numbers alone.

BBB's numbers (and others if you care to look for them)
speak for themselves.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let me use myself as an example. At this moment, I have a very
unhappy woman client. She has complained to the BBB.

Oh right. Your personal rendition of a single annecdote
trumps a year of BBB data.

Her lawyers have told her she is wrong and unreasonable. My lawyers
have told her she is wrong and unreasonable. The BBB has told her
there is nothing they can do.


Hmmm... just what did she think you did anyway?

I myself am amused at the rise of such web sites such as "Angie's
List" which claim to separate the good and honest contractors (right
down to the individual workman level) from the stooges and the crooks.

Beachcomber

"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article , RobertPatrick says...

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in
:

"Banty" wrote in message
...

After some time in this area, as a homeowner I've built up some
experience, and
follow the gambler's creed - knowing when to hold 'em, when to fold
'em. Keeping the good cards, so to speak.

If you're anywhere near Rochester NY, I know an auto repair shop you'd
love. They used to be 10 minutes away, but they moved to be closer to
where the 3 guys live. Now, they're 35 minutes away. They lost pretty
much NO customers. People drive that distance even just for an oil
change.



Please let me know, I'm in Charlotte (pronounced char- LOTTE, so you know
I'm really from Kodak city/flour city/flower city.

And folks, if you think that's a funny pronounciation, wait till you hear
how
they pronounce "Chili, New York".

Banty


.....and Lima.

wrote in message
...
On Wed, 15 Nov 2006 05:57:40 GMT, (Malcolm Hoar)
wrote:


Good, then you'll have some idea of how to examine some more
detailed data such as:

http://www.bbb.org/about/stat2005/us05compsort.pdf

In addition to the numbers of complaints, you'll want to
look at the numbers of unresolved complaints.

You'll also know how to dig out other sources of data
and note how frequently contractors (of various kinds)
consistently deliver lower customer satisfaction than
most other industries.

You really don't get it, do you?

You are citing pseudo data.

Let me use myself as an example. At this moment, I have a very
unhappy woman client. She has complained to the BBB.

Her lawyers have told her she is wrong and unreasonable. My lawyers
have told her she is wrong and unreasonable. The BBB has told her
there is nothing they can do.

So, her complaint is unresolved.

Which means that 100 percent of the complaints against me in the last
ten years are unresolved

Which means that all the complaints against me by female clients in
the last ten years are unresolved.

Another way of looking at it: I have NEVER YET been willing to
resolve a dispute with a female client.

Or perhaps another statistic --- of 57 female clients in the last ten
years, only one was a whacko.

Please, please, please. If you want to think contractors are crooks,
do so. If you want to say you think contractors are crooks, say so.
But please, leave the numbers alone.

You're only proving Mark Twain right.

Ken

I'm don't know about what others here think, but I'm not saying that many
contractors are crooks. However, it *is* a field which can attract people
who imagine themselves to be top-notch craftsmen. There are no regulations
for skill level.

Then, you have to consider what some people think is a ripoff. I got 3
roofing estimates. One was almost ten grand. The other two were $4700 and
$5300. The expensive guy came highly recommended by several people I know,
but these were people with money to burn. One of them watched the roofer's
work very closely, and explained why he thought he was worth so much more
money - insane attention to details that you'd never see after the shingles
were in place.

You can probably imagine some customers thinking Mr. High Price tried to rip
them off, right? But, it depends on whether they understand that they're
paying for what some might call a disorder - an obsessive fixation with
details which may or may not matter. If I could afford the guy, I'd use him.

In article ,
says...
In article , RobertPatrick says...

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in
:

"Banty" wrote in message
...

After some time in this area, as a homeowner I've built up some
experience, and
follow the gambler's creed - knowing when to hold 'em, when to fold
'em. Keeping the good cards, so to speak.

If you're anywhere near Rochester NY, I know an auto repair shop you'd
love. They used to be 10 minutes away, but they moved to be closer to
where the 3 guys live. Now, they're 35 minutes away. They lost pretty
much NO customers. People drive that distance even just for an oil
change.



Please let me know, I'm in Charlotte (pronounced char- LOTTE, so you know
I'm really from Kodak city/flour city/flower city.

How else would you pronounce it? ;-)

And folks, if you think that's a funny pronounciation, wait till you hear how
they pronounce "Chili, New York".

How about Calais? ;-)

--
Keith

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

I'm don't know about what others here think, but I'm not saying that many
contractors are crooks. However, it *is* a field which can attract people
who imagine themselves to be top-notch craftsmen. There are no regulations
for skill level.

Then, you have to consider what some people think is a ripoff. I got 3
roofing estimates. One was almost ten grand. The other two were $4700 and
$5300. The expensive guy came highly recommended by several people I know,
but these were people with money to burn. One of them watched the roofer's
work very closely, and explained why he thought he was worth so much more
money - insane attention to details that you'd never see after the shingles
were in place.

That is one of the more dangerous comments I've seen on this newsgroup.
It's kind of hard to believe that _you_ believe it. The things you
don't see are what kill you in construction every time. There are no
exceptions.

There is also no such thing as insane attention to detail. Ask any
architect, builder, construction manager, contractor, anyone, where the
majority of problems and cost overruns arise. It's always in the
details. Someone bent a piece of flashing the wrong way, somebody
compacted the base except for a tiny area, etc.

You can probably imagine some customers thinking Mr. High Price tried to rip
them off, right? But, it depends on whether they understand that they're
paying for what some might call a disorder - an obsessive fixation with
details which may or may not matter. If I could afford the guy, I'd use him.

And that last is the entire conundrum in remodeling and construction.
People don't know how to weigh the risks and benefits versus the cost.
They read a bit, dabble with Google, ask a couple of questions and then
feel that they have a good enough handle on the situation to make an
informed decision. I wish it were that simple.

R

In article . com, RicodJour
says...

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

I'm don't know about what others here think, but I'm not saying that many
contractors are crooks. However, it *is* a field which can attract people
who imagine themselves to be top-notch craftsmen. There are no regulations
for skill level.

Then, you have to consider what some people think is a ripoff. I got 3
roofing estimates. One was almost ten grand. The other two were $4700 and
$5300. The expensive guy came highly recommended by several people I know,
but these were people with money to burn. One of them watched the roofer's
work very closely, and explained why he thought he was worth so much more
money - insane attention to details that you'd never see after the shingles
were in place.

That is one of the more dangerous comments I've seen on this newsgroup.
It's kind of hard to believe that _you_ believe it. The things you
don't see are what kill you in construction every time. There are no
exceptions.

I'm not Joe, but I do mean he meant "insane" figuratively. He meant it as a
compliment to that roofer.



There is also no such thing as insane attention to detail. Ask any
architect, builder, construction manager, contractor, anyone, where the
majority of problems and cost overruns arise. It's always in the
details. Someone bent a piece of flashing the wrong way, somebody
compacted the base except for a tiny area, etc.

You can probably imagine some customers thinking Mr. High Price tried to rip
them off, right? But, it depends on whether they understand that they're
paying for what some might call a disorder - an obsessive fixation with
details which may or may not matter. If I could afford the guy, I'd use him.

And that last is the entire conundrum in remodeling and construction.
People don't know how to weigh the risks and benefits versus the cost.
They read a bit, dabble with Google, ask a couple of questions and then
feel that they have a good enough handle on the situation to make an
informed decision. I wish it were that simple.

I think that was his point....

Banty

"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article . com,
RicodJour
says...

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

I'm don't know about what others here think, but I'm not saying that
many
contractors are crooks. However, it *is* a field which can attract
people
who imagine themselves to be top-notch craftsmen. There are no
regulations
for skill level.

Then, you have to consider what some people think is a ripoff. I got 3
roofing estimates. One was almost ten grand. The other two were $4700
and
$5300. The expensive guy came highly recommended by several people I
know,
but these were people with money to burn. One of them watched the
roofer's
work very closely, and explained why he thought he was worth so much
more
money - insane attention to details that you'd never see after the
shingles
were in place.

That is one of the more dangerous comments I've seen on this newsgroup.
It's kind of hard to believe that _you_ believe it. The things you
don't see are what kill you in construction every time. There are no
exceptions.

I'm not Joe, but I do mean he meant "insane" figuratively. He meant it as
a
compliment to that roofer.

Exactly.

For example, he noted that I had a cricket above my chimney. I'd never heard
of a cricket. At first, he said it looked like a bit of a swelling in that
spot, because it wasn't distinctly triangular. He thought it could use just
a little more slope, though, and after peeking at it from the underside in
the attic, he said he'd like to build it up a bit.

That sort of thing.

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article . com,
RicodJour
says...

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

I'm don't know about what others here think, but I'm not saying that
many
contractors are crooks. However, it *is* a field which can attract
people
who imagine themselves to be top-notch craftsmen. There are no
regulations
for skill level.

Then, you have to consider what some people think is a ripoff. I got 3
roofing estimates. One was almost ten grand. The other two were $4700
and
$5300. The expensive guy came highly recommended by several people I
know,
but these were people with money to burn. One of them watched the
roofer's
work very closely, and explained why he thought he was worth so much
more
money - insane attention to details that you'd never see after the
shingles
were in place.

That is one of the more dangerous comments I've seen on this newsgroup.
It's kind of hard to believe that _you_ believe it. The things you
don't see are what kill you in construction every time. There are no
exceptions.

I'm not Joe, but I do mean he meant "insane" figuratively. He meant it as
a
compliment to that roofer.

Exactly.

For example, he noted that I had a cricket above my chimney. I'd never heard
of a cricket. At first, he said it looked like a bit of a swelling in that
spot, because it wasn't distinctly triangular. He thought it could use just
a little more slope, though, and after peeking at it from the underside in
the attic, he said he'd like to build it up a bit.


I'd probably hire that guy. I've had 3 roofing contractors come out
and none of them seemed to know what a cricket was when I asked if they
thought I needed one. Maybe it's an arbitrary criteria in light of the
job in it's entirety, but I've decided I won't hire anyone who doesn't
give me a competent description of why I do or don't need a cricket.
I set my standards even lower for a flagstone patio and hired the only
guy who didn't show up for an estimate reeking of alcohol. He did a
really nice job.
And I'm a long way from being convinced that all plumbers aren't
vicious lying thieves and possibly even murderous psychopaths. I'm
truly afraid of plumbers.

Banty wrote:

I'm not Joe, but I do mean he meant "insane" figuratively. He meant it as a
compliment to that roofer.


I think that was his point....

I see your point, but I'm not sure that was his point. Maybe I'm just
not used to people using insane and obsessive fixation as positive
comments. There is some truth to it.

R

I wish I was only afraid of plumbers.

They all scare me.

frank megaweege wrote:
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article . com,
RicodJour
says...

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

I'm don't know about what others here think, but I'm not saying that
many
contractors are crooks. However, it *is* a field which can attract
people
who imagine themselves to be top-notch craftsmen. There are no
regulations
for skill level.

Then, you have to consider what some people think is a ripoff. I got 3
roofing estimates. One was almost ten grand. The other two were $4700
and
$5300. The expensive guy came highly recommended by several people I
know,
but these were people with money to burn. One of them watched the
roofer's
work very closely, and explained why he thought he was worth so much
more
money - insane attention to details that you'd never see after the
shingles
were in place.

That is one of the more dangerous comments I've seen on this newsgroup.
It's kind of hard to believe that _you_ believe it. The things you
don't see are what kill you in construction every time. There are no
exceptions.

I'm not Joe, but I do mean he meant "insane" figuratively. He meant it as
a
compliment to that roofer.

Exactly.

For example, he noted that I had a cricket above my chimney. I'd never heard
of a cricket. At first, he said it looked like a bit of a swelling in that
spot, because it wasn't distinctly triangular. He thought it could use just
a little more slope, though, and after peeking at it from the underside in
the attic, he said he'd like to build it up a bit.


I'd probably hire that guy. I've had 3 roofing contractors come out
and none of them seemed to know what a cricket was when I asked if they
thought I needed one. Maybe it's an arbitrary criteria in light of the
job in it's entirety, but I've decided I won't hire anyone who doesn't
give me a competent description of why I do or don't need a cricket.
I set my standards even lower for a flagstone patio and hired the only
guy who didn't show up for an estimate reeking of alcohol. He did a
really nice job.
And I'm a long way from being convinced that all plumbers aren't
vicious lying thieves and possibly even murderous psychopaths. I'm
truly afraid of plumbers.

"frank megaweege" wrote in message
ups.com...

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article . com,
RicodJour
says...

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

I'm don't know about what others here think, but I'm not saying that
many
contractors are crooks. However, it *is* a field which can attract
people
who imagine themselves to be top-notch craftsmen. There are no
regulations
for skill level.

Then, you have to consider what some people think is a ripoff. I got
3
roofing estimates. One was almost ten grand. The other two were $4700
and
$5300. The expensive guy came highly recommended by several people I
know,
but these were people with money to burn. One of them watched the
roofer's
work very closely, and explained why he thought he was worth so much
more
money - insane attention to details that you'd never see after the
shingles
were in place.

That is one of the more dangerous comments I've seen on this newsgroup.
It's kind of hard to believe that _you_ believe it. The things you
don't see are what kill you in construction every time. There are no
exceptions.

I'm not Joe, but I do mean he meant "insane" figuratively. He meant it
as
a
compliment to that roofer.

Exactly.

For example, he noted that I had a cricket above my chimney. I'd never
heard
of a cricket. At first, he said it looked like a bit of a swelling in
that
spot, because it wasn't distinctly triangular. He thought it could use
just
a little more slope, though, and after peeking at it from the underside
in
the attic, he said he'd like to build it up a bit.


I'd probably hire that guy. I've had 3 roofing contractors come out
and none of them seemed to know what a cricket was when I asked if they
thought I needed one. Maybe it's an arbitrary criteria in light of the
job in it's entirety, but I've decided I won't hire anyone who doesn't
give me a competent description of why I do or don't need a cricket.
I set my standards even lower for a flagstone patio and hired the only
guy who didn't show up for an estimate reeking of alcohol. He did a
really nice job.
And I'm a long way from being convinced that all plumbers aren't
vicious lying thieves and possibly even murderous psychopaths. I'm
truly afraid of plumbers.


I wish I could hire him. But, the extra five thousand isn't there.

"RicodJour" wrote in message
ups.com...
Banty wrote:

I'm not Joe, but I do mean he meant "insane" figuratively. He meant it
as a
compliment to that roofer.


I think that was his point....

I see your point, but I'm not sure that was his point. Maybe I'm just
not used to people using insane and obsessive fixation as positive
comments. There is some truth to it.

R


I consider it a good thing, as long as it doesn't get in the way of your
work. My car mechanic stuffs about 19 paper towels in various spots before
he unscrews the oil filter. He says he HATES it when cars drip oil, because
then you don't know if it was just sloppy work, or a problem developing.

I'd probably hire that guy. I've had 3 roofing contractors come out
and none of them seemed to know what a cricket was when I asked if they
thought I needed one. Maybe it's an arbitrary criteria in light of the
job in it's entirety, but I've decided I won't hire anyone who doesn't
give me a competent description of why I do or don't need a cricket.

Of course, what you're calling a cricket, I'd call a saddle.
It's probably only called a cricket because victorians didn't
like it when it was called a crotchet, anyway.

What you're using as a criterion is filtering out people
who don't have a particular linguistic tradition, not
people who don't know much about roofs.


--Goedjn

"Goedjn" wrote in message
news

I'd probably hire that guy. I've had 3 roofing contractors come out
and none of them seemed to know what a cricket was when I asked if they
thought I needed one. Maybe it's an arbitrary criteria in light of the
job in it's entirety, but I've decided I won't hire anyone who doesn't
give me a competent description of why I do or don't need a cricket.

Of course, what you're calling a cricket, I'd call a saddle.
It's probably only called a cricket because victorians didn't
like it when it was called a crotchet, anyway.

What you're using as a criterion is filtering out people
who don't have a particular linguistic tradition, not
people who don't know much about roofs.


--Goedjn

As long as they notice it and call it SOMETHING, it's a sign that there are
brain waves.

Goedjn wrote:
I'd probably hire that guy. I've had 3 roofing contractors come out
and none of them seemed to know what a cricket was when I asked if they
thought I needed one. Maybe it's an arbitrary criteria in light of the
job in it's entirety, but I've decided I won't hire anyone who doesn't
give me a competent description of why I do or don't need a cricket.

Of course, what you're calling a cricket, I'd call a saddle.
It's probably only called a cricket because victorians didn't
like it when it was called a crotchet, anyway.

What you're using as a criterion is filtering out people
who don't have a particular linguistic tradition, not
people who don't know much about roofs.


No. It's not like I called them up and said "define the word
'cricket'". I told them that my roof leaks around the chimney and in
addition to better flashing did they think that, given the width of my
chimney, that a cricket might help. At which point they stare blankly
or begin blustering nonsense about how to handle the leaking, with no
indication that they understood the concept of a cricket, crotchet or
saddle. Whatever you want to call it. One guy eventually called me
back and said building what I wanted (I had attempted to describe what
I meant by 'cricket') would cost an additional $3000 ($6000 without it.
And of course I asked if he meant $300, not thousand. No dice). He
seemed honestly perplexed at my laughter and said he would send the
estimate in writing with labor and materials so I could see why that
price wasn't out of line. Unfortunately, I never received it. I was
curious to get some clue as to what he was planning to build for 3
grand. It sure as hell wasn't a cricket or a saddle. Not even a
crotchet.

"frank megaweege" wrote in message
oups.com...

Goedjn wrote:
I'd probably hire that guy. I've had 3 roofing contractors come out
and none of them seemed to know what a cricket was when I asked if they
thought I needed one. Maybe it's an arbitrary criteria in light of the
job in it's entirety, but I've decided I won't hire anyone who doesn't
give me a competent description of why I do or don't need a cricket.

Of course, what you're calling a cricket, I'd call a saddle.
It's probably only called a cricket because victorians didn't
like it when it was called a crotchet, anyway.

What you're using as a criterion is filtering out people
who don't have a particular linguistic tradition, not
people who don't know much about roofs.


No. It's not like I called them up and said "define the word
'cricket'". I told them that my roof leaks around the chimney and in
addition to better flashing did they think that, given the width of my
chimney, that a cricket might help. At which point they stare blankly
or begin blustering nonsense about how to handle the leaking, with no
indication that they understood the concept of a cricket, crotchet or
saddle. Whatever you want to call it. One guy eventually called me
back and said building what I wanted (I had attempted to describe what
I meant by 'cricket') would cost an additional $3000 ($6000 without it.
And of course I asked if he meant $300, not thousand. No dice). He
seemed honestly perplexed at my laughter and said he would send the
estimate in writing with labor and materials so I could see why that
price wasn't out of line. Unfortunately, I never received it. I was
curious to get some clue as to what he was planning to build for 3
grand. It sure as hell wasn't a cricket or a saddle. Not even a
crotchet.


Sounds like he was going to have it made by the Ethan Allen furniture
factory, using some sort of rare wood normally reserved for fancy guitar
inlays.