Two months ago, we delivered a pole building kit package to one of our clients in…let’s just say “one of the fifty” U.S. States.  Could have happened from any one of them. One of our requirements is for our clients to inventory all materials and report any shortage or damage within 48 hours of receipt. In this particular case – no report was made.

Just this week, Justine in our office receives this Email from the client’s builder:

“Justine, we are assembling the building and we are missing some lumber.  Below is a list of what is needed.  All is SPF grade.

12 each 16′-2×8

32 each 14′-2×8

25 each 16′-2×4

We have more 2×6 than what is needed.  Please let me know how you want to handle.”

Even though it is two months since delivery, Justine tries to do her part and responds back to the builder:

“Good Morning,
I first off need to know what you all received.  I need you to do inventory of all the lumber you got.  I cannot go to the lumber yard until that is done.  So, go and take your material take off and compare to the pick list and then do a physical count of the lumber itself please.
Thank you”

To which builder responds:

“To not delay the project and cost us down time we are ordering the attached material and will charge you the same.”

Even though no shortage or damage was reported at time of delivery, and builder was being totally uncooperative, we do due diligence and always start by assuming somewhere we have made an error.

In checking the plans against the Material Takeoff – in 2×8 there is a total of 46 at 14’ and 16 at 16’, in 2×4, there are only 12 at 16’ required. The plans and takeoff are a match. In the event an inventory was done at delivery (as is required), then the 2×8 lumber could very well have been “borrowed” or otherwise misappropriated. What is striking is the demand to provide over double the number of 2x4x16’ required for the building!

Hansen Pole Buildings will go out of our way to assist clients and their builders who do their part, follow procedures, or even attempt to be cooperative. While the builder above was not chipping in to assist, the next one makes him appear friendly….

Again a builder….requested technical assistance and was called back with the solution to his question, for free (even though there is a charge, by incident for immediate telephone assistance, it was waived).

So, this builder calls again the next day, leaves a voice mail message for Technical Support, and is texted back from our office:

“How may we assist you?”

To which the builder responds back by text:

“It’s not a technical support question so don’t waste my time by f***ing me around….”

Excuse me, but builder called our Technical Support number and left a voice mail, we respond within minutes and builder drops the F-bomb? In writing?

I will attempt to rationalize these by them happening during a full moon.

Over the years, I cannot begin to count the clients who have called and started with, “We made a mistake….”, or “Could you please help me…I think I may have a problem.”  We’ve sent out a lot of extra things either for free, or at our cost, to clients who have come to us hat in hand and said they might have made an error. Drop the F bomb and I am done “helping” you.

As in most of life the old adage, You catch more flies with honey than vinegar” applies to a pole building as well.